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“I've been working on the idea for this book for a while. It's odd that some of the most established book companies looked down their collective noses at them as 'white trash’', something that is just plainly stupid. When I was a teenager they were definitely dangerous, not to be messed with which made them exciting plus they toured the UK a lot and appealed to the working class. I always refer back to Pete Makowski's piece, touring with them on the West Coast in SOUNDS, one the greatest written testaments to the band - so I asked Geoff Barton to write an introduction as he was very much around at the time. I spend so much time in America and each time you get in a car and put on classic rock radio what do you hear? "Free Bird" or "Sweet Home Alabama". "Free Bird" has almost become an American national anthem.
I spoke to my friend Ken Levington (band manager) who said Gary Rossington would like to sign it - I sent Gary the bookplates and he died. I was in South America at the time and then a couple of weeks later I was back in Los Angeles and waiting for me at the Sunset Marquis Hotel was a box returned from Atlanta. I nearly threw it away, then thought I'd keep a bookplate as a memento, I opened the package and to my surprise, Gary had signed every plate a couple of days before he died. So I thought it was a nice message from the "Free Bird"s wherever they all are now. Play their music, it's a part of American History. The '70's in all its musical glory and then look at the photos... you won't be disappointed” ROSS HALFIN - MAY 2023
