Johnny Van Zant sat down for a new chat with Al.com ahead of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s upcoming summer tour. The interviewer mentioned the Neil Young reference in the band’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and asked the frontman if they ever met the singer. He said:
“You know what? First of all, I want to say everybody in Skynyrd’s always loved Neil Young’s music. But to answer your question, I’ve never met Neil. We actually put the word out, we said, hey, let’s go play some shows. But we never heard back from it, so maybe he doesn’t like us as good as we like him. (Laughs)”
The Singer And The Band Couldn’t Get Along
Neil Young’s public criticism of the Deep South caused a dispute between him and Lynyrd Skynyrd in the ‘70s. His thoughts about the region in 1970’s ‘Southern Man’ and 1972’s ‘Alabama’ pushed Ronnie Van Zant to confront the singer in ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’
One line in the track went, ‘I hope Neil Young will remember a Southern man doesn’t need him around, anyhow,’ and led Young to apologize to the band. His 2012 biography, ‘Waging Heavy Peace,’ read:
“‘Alabama’ richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record. I don’t like my words when I listen to it. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, and too easy to misconstrue.”
They Made Peace After The Song
Young later mentioned being proud to be named in the Southern group’s song. He also talked about the feud in a 1995 chat with Mojo Magazine:
“Oh, they didn’t really put me down! But then again, maybe they did! But not in a way that matters. Shoot, I think ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is a great song. I’ve actually performed it live a couple of times myself.”
The two parties made peace after ‘Sweet Home Alabama’s release. The ‘Down By The River’ singer sent a demo of ‘Powderfinger’ to Lynyrd Skynyrd as a gesture.
Ronnie Van Zant and other band members died in a plane crash before they could record the song for their next album.