Becoming a Top Band
By 1970, Lynyrd Skynyrd was a top band in Jacksonville, headlining at local concerts, and opening for national acts. They perform throughout the South in the early 70s, developing both their hard-driving blues-rock sound and their image. They experimented by recording their sound in a studio, eventually crafting this distinctively “southern” sound that was a blend of country, blues, and a bit of British rock.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
During this time, the band switched up some of their members. In 1972, the band (Van Zant, Collins, Rossington, Burns, Wilkeson, and Powell) was discovered by Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat & Tears. Kooper signed them to his ‘Sounds of the South’ label, supported by MCA Records, and they produced their first album in 1973. The album, which featured the hit song “Free Bird,” sold over a million copies.