By Dave Read, August 30, 2025 performance – All I knew about Lynyrd Skynyrd, besides the unavoidable party anthems Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama, was that the musical wizard Al Kooper had “discovered” them. Anybody audacious enough to insinuate himself into Bob Dylan’s career, and play a key role in shaping the greatest song in rock n’ roll history – Like a Rolling Stone, is somebody I’m going to pay attention to.
Here is Al Kooper describing how he “discovered” Lynyrd Skynyrd.
And so, I was excited to attend my first Lynyrd Skynyrd show, even if none of the musicians Kooper produced are alive. It was fun enough to hear their renditions of the two anthems, but it was sad to hear them do their other big hit, What’s My Name, and sad to see the audience so eager to boogie along. The song is an anthem to people who like ’em young, like Jeffrey Epstein, Matt Gaetz, and the ogre from MarALago.
