Editing Allen Collins (section)

=== Later life and death ===

During the early 1980s Collins continued to perform onstage in the [[Rossington Collins Band]], which enjoyed modest success, releasing two albums (''Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere'' and ''This Is the Way''), and charting a few singles (notably "Don't Misunderstand Me").

In 1980, during the first days of the band's debut concert tour, Kathy died suddenly of a [[hemorrhage]] during the miscarriage of their third child. This forced the tour's cancellation. The Rossington Collins Band disbanded in 1982. Collins continued to pursue music, starting the [[Allen Collins Band]], which released one album, ''Here, There & Back'' in 1983. The six members included two Skynyrd bandmates – keyboardist [[Billy Powell]] and bassist [[Leon Wilkeson]] – along with lead singer Jimmy Dougherty, drummer Derek Hess, and guitarists Barry Lee Harwood and Randall Hall. In 1984, Collins tried to resurrect the band, hiring Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings and bassist Andy Ward King. Later members included guitarist-vocalist Michael Ray FitzGerald and bassist "Filthy Phil" Price.

On January 29, 1986,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/60be797135c45eefa4c334ecc2679ca7|title=Woman Killed, Rock Musician Injured In One-Car Accident|publisher=Associated Press|date=January 30, 1986|access-date=October 14, 2015}}</ref> Collins was driving a new black [[Ford Thunderbird (ninth generation)|Ford Thunderbird]] in Jacksonville on Plummer Grant Road when he lost control of the car just south of Old St. Augustine Road and crashed. The crash claimed the life of his girlfriend, Debra Jean Watts, and paralyzed the guitarist from the waist down, with limited use of his arms and hands. Collins pleaded [[Nolo contendere|no contest]] to [[vehicular manslaughter]] as well as driving under the influence of alcohol. Due to his injuries, he would never play guitar on stage again.

Collins' last performance with Lynyrd Skynyrd was at the band's first reunion after [[Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash|the plane crash]] at the 1979 Volunteer Jam V in Nashville, Tennessee. All remaining members of Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited officially in 1987, but Collins served only as musical director, due to his [[paralysis]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBwqtmdxqzI|title=Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird (1987)|date=January 23, 2013 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>  As part of his plea bargain for the 1986 accident, Collins addressed fans at every Skynyrd concert with an explanation of why he could not perform, citing the dangers of drinking and driving, as well as drugs and alcohol.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Rob |date=September 20, 2018 |title=Rock 'n' Roll tragedies, from "Layla" to "Free Bird," and beyond. |url=https://blog.timesunion.com/hoffmanfiles/rock-n-roll-tragedies-from-layla-to-free-bird-and-beyond/44836/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920123504/https://blog.timesunion.com/hoffmanfiles/rock-n-roll-tragedies-from-layla-to-free-bird-and-beyond/44836/ |archive-date=September 20, 2018}}</ref> Also, because of Collins' crash, the band donated a sizable amount of concert proceeds from the 1987–88 tour to the [[Miami Project to Cure Paralysis|Miami Project]], which is involved in treatment of paralysis.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} Collins founded Roll For Rock Wheelchair Events and Benefit Concerts in 1988 to raise awareness and to provide opportunities for those living with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities.

Collins died on January 23, 1990, from chronic [[pneumonia]], a complication of the paralysis.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/25/obituaries/allen-collins-37-played-rock-guitar-for-lynyrd-skynyrd.html#:~:text=Allen%20Collins%2C%20one%20of%20the,spokeswoman%20for%20Memorial%20Medical%20Center.|title=Allen Collins, 37; Played Rock Guitar For Lynyrd Skynyrd|newspaper=New York Times|date=January 25, 1990}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-25-mn-644-story.html|title=Allen Collins, Guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dies at 37|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 25, 1990}}</ref> He is buried beside his wife in Jacksonville, Florida.