Starting their musical journey as a bunch of high school students, Lynyrd Skynyrd wouldn’t know about their upcoming massive impact on the ’70s rock scene. Owing to the vast number of local gigs they played and the solid fan base they built, the band caught the attention of record labels. They released their debut album, ‘(Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd),’ in 1973. The record featured the hit song ‘Free Bird,’ which rose them to national stardom. The band’s follow-up album, ‘Second Helping,’ marked their breakthrough, leading them to grow their fan base rapidly.
Lynyrd Skynyrd popularized Southern rock by mixing the blues with country styles. Ronnie Van Zant came to the front as the band’s lead singer and primary songwriter until the unfortunate plane crash ended his life at a very young age. Although he was the foremost creative genius behind the band’s most famous songs, the singer never forgot to credit his band members for making it teamwork. It is common for the lyricists to despise their earlier works, though. There was also one song that Van Zant regretted writing.
Ronnie Van Zant Changed His Mind About ‘Cry For The Bad Man’
When Lynyrd Skynyrd started to make themselves heard around 1970 by playing in several local concerts and opening for national acts, they agreed with Pat Armstrong and Alan Walden to become the band’s managers. Armstrong left shortly after starting his own business, leaving Walden as the only manager of the group. Walden released some of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classics like ‘Freebird,’ ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ and ‘Gimme Three Steps’ during his time with the band.
However, some problems started to arise between him and the band not long after. The group members were disturbed by Walden’s strict financial control over them. Thus, the manager’s partnership with Lynyrd Skynyrd ended in 1974 when they decided to pass his duties to Peter Rudge. Walden had already signed with another band, the Outlaws, shortly before he departed from his responsibilities with the group.
Alan Walden’s manner towards them was incredibly disappointing for Ronnie Van Zant, a very close friend of the manager. Van Zant wrote the song, ‘Cry For The Bad Man,’ for their former manager. In the track, the late singer expressed frustration over his good friend’s betrayal, referring to his greed for money. The rocker also revealed later that he regretted writing this track. Although the singer thought they were close and good friends, their different opinions on financial issues eventually ended their friendship.
You can listen to the song below.
