Well, so did I! But I searched and searched this World Wide Web, and never found one! Oh, I found tons of sites about one band, some of 'em were even pretty good, but Southern rock ain't about one band. It's about several, all of 'em closely connected. So here it is - my little donation to the Internet.

You'll find info on the band members, record info, song lyrics, all kinds of good stuff in here. Shoot, you can even find out where to get that record you can't find! Just pick a band at the top and click on it to get started, or read on down to see a little general history on Southern Rock. You'll see links between bands throughout the site, anywhere they're appropriate.

Oh, yeah, if you see where I've missed something, y'all kindly give me a yell and let me know, OK?

Thanks!
The Redneck

Southern Rock has many definitions. It combines elements of country, gospel, bluegrass, and rock into one unique, hard-driving beat that has gained a huge following all over the USA and even abroad. It is exciting and simple at the same time. It touches a primitive chord down deep inside the soul, and gives flight to the spirit. It's about troubles and triumphs, living and loving, but mostly about having a good time.

The roots of Southern Rock are hard to pin down; it simply seems to have appeared. Yet one band seems to have the earliest beginnings, ironically a band that isn't even from the South! The Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band, formed in 1965 in California and appearing on records in 1967, has the spirit and sound that has evolved into today's music. It was undoubtedly one of the earliest influences for the explosion of bands that were to follow in the Southern Rock style. The same year that they produced an album, Jerry Jeff Walker also appeared on the scene.

1969 saw the introduction of the Allman Brothers Band, the Black Oak Arkansas, and a band from England that, despite its origins, still carried the Southern Rock spirit, the Climax Blues Band. Of the three, the Allman Brothers had the most dramatic impact on the music, with several later bands specifically mentioning them as one of their greatest influences.

Following closely in their footsteps, the Charlie Daniels Band debuted on the recording scene in 1970. Although Charlie Daniels had been a musician since 1957, the inception of the Charlie Daniels Band marked the beginnings of his Southern Rock style. This band has had an enduring career that lasts to today.

1971 saw a veritable explosion of Southern Rock bands. Among the many to produce their first album were Pure Prarie League, Little Feat, Wet Willie, Barefoot Jerry, and the New Riders Of The Purple Sage which formed out of The Grateful Dead.

The same thing happened again in 1973, with bands such as the Souter, Hillman, Fular Band, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, the Marshall Tucker Band, and of course, the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd making their debut. Southern Rock was maturing, with each of the bands now delivering music in their own unique style to their own niche in the world of music.

Grinderswitch followed the following year, and 1975 saw the emergence of the Dixie Dregs, the Outlaws, and perhaps the most under-rated of all the Southern Rock Bands, Blackfoot. Blackfoot actually formed way back in the very early 70's, but took until 1975 to release their first album. Rickey Medlocke's father Shorty Medlock had a pronounced influence on both Blackfoot and Lynyrd Skynyrd, being a talented bluegrass musician.

The circle of bands would once again fill out in 1978-79, with the introduction of .38 Special and Molly Hatchet, two bands which produced a large and dedicated collection of fans. Then in 1980 the Johnny VanZant Band came onto the scene, followed in 1997 by his cousin, Jimmie VanZant. Also in 1997, Johnny and Donnie VanZant collaborated in a duet under the name VanZant. The legends continue.

Over the years, most of these bands went through both good and bad times, with the possible exception of the Charlie Daniels Band, which has maintained a fairly consistant influence. As a result, many produced spin-off bands or re-formed under a different name. Also, many musicians played with more than one band during their career. This leads to confusion in many cases. For example, Molly Hatchet completely changed members over a fairly short length of time, as did Blackfoot. But to list every name under which a Southern Rock recording has been released would take an astronomical amount of space and would make this difficult to follow. The spin-off bands are not mentioned here, but are included on the pages with the parent band.

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