Twisted Tales: Skynyrd Drummer Artimus Pyle Earns His 'Wild Man' Tag
Even in Lynyrd Skynyrd, a group noted for being a collection of free spirits, they called him "Wild Man." Drummer Artimus Pyle joined the definitive Southern rock group in 1974, replacing original drummer Bob Burns. Three years later, after a whirlwind run that included a trio of Top Ten albums and upstaging the Rolling Stones on tour, Pyle was staggering through a swamp in rural Mississippi, seeking help after surviving the band's infamous and deadly plane crash. Pyle, an ex-Marine and a Kentucky native who was friendly with the young Al Gore, got his start in rock 'n' roll with boosts from Charlie Daniels and the Marshall Tucker Band before being recommended to Skynyrd. By Pyle's own account, singer Ronnie Van Zant authorized his hiring sight unseen, sending a paper bag filled with $5,000 to recruit the new band member.
He missed few chances to sow his wild oats. On tour in the U.K., Pyle and some of his mates got into a brawl at a London hotel. Their opponents turned out to be members of the Metropolitan Police Boxing Team, and Pyle was carried out unconscious. After the plane crash, he missed an opportunity to join the post-Skynyrd Rossington-Collins Band when he suffered a broken leg in a motorcycle accident. Instead, he formed his own group, the Artimus Pyle Band (APB), which helped launch the career of the late Gov't Mule/Allman Brothers bassist Allen Woody.
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Posted by James Sullivan on Jun 29th 2009 5:00PM
Filed under: Twisted Tales






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