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Why did you keep cutting him off. Let him fuckin answer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I watched this podcast from start to finish, and wanted to keep hearing more. I’ve spotted many, basically all, positive comments about this outstanding podcast.

I want to say it's always interesting to get Skynformation from other folks who knew members of the band. But you got to love the story where he got a ride from Ronnie and didn't realize until years later who that was and that car. so many more stories to add and also yet another person who woras there and had to deal with the proverbial know it all fans who trying to get the story right....Being at the right place at the right time. And yes to get the "sober" version. Lol. Definitely get him back on, Sally and Craig's first wife. Hopefully get those together. I love the road trips....

Allen Collins Band also stopped in Cocoa Beach, saw them at Brassy's. ANOTHER GREAT SHOW!!!!

Great show! Enjoyed Mikeys tales!

Fantastic episode! Great stories!!

Man this was a great podcast. Mikee told a lot I had never heard. Just imagine all he could have told if he wasn't being interviewed by a couple that kept interrupting him. And talking over him. Wow

Hey Craig , didnt you get some weed into Japan in the 70s..LOL....? awesome show !

Great show, lots of good stories, I've had to watch it in segments. I really like the Artimus info at the beginning of the podcast about him in the Marines and all. So many things covered here and I may have to come back later for more comments. Something to add about Allen going into a trance while playing Freebird, I've played drums since I was 12 and still play today and when you're a musician and playing it's like you lock in and get lost in what you're doing, lots of musicians I know are that way, you can see them go away and come back. It's actually a great form of meditation because you're totally living in the moment and not thinking about anything else. The story about hash oil reminded me of something, we used to get the best hash oil back in the 70's, it came in little vials, you could hold it up to a light and it was so pure, it looked like motor oil or gear oil and you could see through it. Man you could put a little dab on a pin and light it and put a big beer mug or something over it and the glass would fill up with smoke and then you put your mouth to the edge of the glass and breathe it all in and man, you would get a major head rush, really just one or two hits is all you really needed and you would be severely wasted, those were the days with all the great music and everything. Everyday seemed like an adventure and a party.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I was at the shows at the Great Southern Music Hall! All we knew was Allen & Gary put a band together. We got tickets having no idea Leon & Billy would be with them! And a female singer!!!! GREAT SHOWS!!! I was front row BOTH NIGHTS!!!!

Awesome pod cast

Another Very good show, lots of new skin formation. My hat off to you guys.

What an awesome show. I mean, wow. So much info. Loved it.

Great show

Would love to hear more stories from Mikey! This was priceless.

Another great one!!! Do more with Mikee.

I didn’t want this to end today

What a phenomenal episode this was. New stories never heard before. Old stories with additional details as experienced from a different vantage point. A two and a half hour Skynformation Sensation!

I got to hear about the London fight story straight from Artimus while inside Allen's jacob Ave studio when preparing for LSII project. I hope I don't get two fight stories confused with each other, but Artimus said that Billy had gone down to the hotel bar which was on the first floor. And that he had gotten onto the elevator back up to the band's floor. And that while Billy was inside the elevator riding it up he got into a knock down dragged out fight locked up inside the moving elevator. And when the door opened up onto the band's floor, the fight fell out the door of the elevator and into the hallway and that Ronnie had heard the fight commotion from inside his room and that Ronnie opened up his hotel room door and stuck his head out to see what was going on and saw Billy involved in a fight with several other men, like 3 of them. So it was Billy against them all. Artimus said Ronnie was not about to let Billy go down alone, so Ronnie was wearing nothing but a towel and he strolled down there to help Billy out and of course the towel came off and Ronnie was fighting in the buff. Artimus told me that he and Gary had heard about the fight after the fact and they decided to go seek those guys out and start it up again out for revenge. And Artimus said he and Gary went looking for trouble and were not aware that the London police boxing club were having some sort of a police convention there at the hotel just for their fighting boxers, and what do Artimus and Gary do? Well of course they bust through the door and the two of them go into the police boxers convention to start their shyt and all those police in there promptly stomped Gary and Artimus right into the ground. Both had to be taken to a local hospital for treatment. They picked the wrong door to bust through that day! And that's how I heard it but that was some 40 years ago. OK, 39 years ago. Close enough. You go looking for trouble and boy did those two find it! Do ya think they learned their lesson? Hardly. When I knew Artimus and worked some APB shows in Florida, when some young punks were causing trouble Artimus was ever the marine. Next thing I know he throws his arm around me pulls me in close whisper into my ear "you take the two on the right and I'll take the 2 on the left." Yeah, even a good beat down does not beat it out them. Great podcast! One of the best to date!

Griff never heard a “sober” version- hilarious 😅

Would like to hear Mike play guitar

I could listen to Mike Sparks talking to Craig and Griff for days, this is great Skyn- information 🎉

Man that’s the first I’ve ever heard about Tuesday’s gone being about Kathy, i’m glad Allen’s night wasn’t Thursday, 😅, no seriously, i love that song, probably more so now, has meaning 🙏🏻

That was so interesting and informative! Thanks Mikey Sparks. 😊

I hope you got monitized because there were a ton of ads...and I'm sick of the political ones. The ones in Pennsylvania with these woke nurses talking....blecch. They think the cackling fool is going to fix things...hmmm. Lord Help us.

Yet another epic podcast and thank you for allowing it to be shown in it's entirety. A LOT of information and thank you Mikee for sharing all of that. Would love to see another podcast sometime soon. And thanks to the guy in the comments for his information as well. We only see the side they want us to see. We don't get to see all the goings on behind the scenes. It's because of roadies or others who had been around them to help us know these things. SAD to hear about Leon's health issues. Yes the plane crash may have happened almost 47 years ago...but for those who survived it didn't end there...and for those who are still here..and have issues like Gene and the two marks, Leslie, Paul and whoever else has to endure that crash....Folks don't realize it. Thank you Craig for having this podcast and thanks Griff for being able to help with the on the road trips. I enjoy hearing the stories...but so sad at the issues.

They refrence SKYNRD! Of course! ruclips.net/video/WgYg2ScK-ho/видео.htmlsi=OBzYmzB_HVketqbh

The best show

Another great interesting show! Thanks!!

Great interview!

Excellent podcast guys!

About the Artimus event in Toronto... I know everyone has a story to tell and a side to tell, but I have to say the most compelling story of all is the one Artimus has to tell about that event and events leading up to it. Mikey and Craig have some good info on it all, but I have never heard either of them try and tell Artimus side. And that is the side I had the advantage of hearing first hand from Artimus out of his own mouth right after it happened because he came back to Jacksonville after that event which is where I was and I immediately began doing shows and things with Artimus. So I got to hear his side and I can tell you it is far more compelling than all the others. Now what Mikey just said about Ed King was very telling indeed. Good info right there. Some I never heard before but it really just kind of reenforces what Artimus told me. The first thing all fans have to realize is stand in Artimus shoes. Look at things through his eyes and no one elses. From his perspective Ronnie Van Zant chose him to be the drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Ronnie himself put Artimus into that position. And from Artimus perspective it was not up to anyone else in that band to try and overrule Ronnie, but that is precisely what Ed King did. I got to know Tom Dowd for many years before he died. In this show we heard how Ronnie would not put up with the personality conflict between Ed and Artimus. I have to call bull on that one because I sat with Tom Dowd at his house in Miami before he died and got him on camera telling me on camera that before he would allow Ed and Artimus into the studio to record them in Skynyrd that he had to disarm both of them. As in take guns from both of them before letting them in to record. I have Tom Dowd on camera saying this. So that conflict existed in the original Skynyrd band and flowed forward into new band post 1987. This comment is gonna be really long, but the story is. Trying to shorten it down some, in the new band Ed King tried to take it over and control the band and the music his way or the highway. And this old conflict between those two came to surface. You heard how Mike Sparks just said Ed King told Artimus he was to play only on songs of original Skynyrd and he was to not play on new songs and let Custer play on them. Again, who is Ed King? He is just a hired guitar player in Skynyrd. Not his band. Artimus was not his subordinate. Ed King was NOT Artimus boss even if he thought he was. Some of you may not want to hear this but Ed King played dirty, underhanded and backstabbing even paying band employees with cocaine like what Pops admitted to right here on this podcast a while back. Tom Dowd told me when he went into studio to record the 1991 album that Ed King was a pissy, bitchy, whiny crybaby wanting everything his way. Tom Dowd told me he threw Ed King out of the studio and finished the album without him. Ed King was furious. He hated Tom Dowd and hated Artimus. So Ed hopped on the phone to band manager Bill Graham and Gary Rossington in conference call and asked if he could remix the finished album before handing it in to Atlantic Records. Ed King said on his own forum website that those two gave him permission to remix it. However there is a problem here. First of all neither Bill Graham nor Gary Rossington had the authority to tell Ed he could remix anything. That album was the private property of Atlantic Records who paid for it all and had their man Tom Dowd as executive producer on it. If anyone was to give permission it was only going to be executive producer Tom Dowd and NO ONE else. Bill Graham simply managed the touring band and merchandise. He had NO authority over albums at all. So Ed King took that album out to California where he did far more than remix it. He brought in Kevin Elson and those two proceeded to ERASE all of Artimus drum tracks and insert Kurt Custer in place of Artimus on that entire album! And Artimus also told me he had paid out of pocket to buy Billy Powell a $3500 keyboard which Billy used on the album. Ed King and Kevin Elson erased ALL of it! And not just remixed the album but re-recorded it without the knowledge or consent of Tom Dowd who was executive producer on that album. Ed King STABBED Artimus and Tom Dowd and Atlantic Records and Billy Powell in the back! Artimus told me he was moving through an airport when he heard the new album over a radio broadcast and instantly KNEW it was NOT him on the album. Tom Dowd told me the same thing. Both Tom Dowd and Artimus found out after release what Ed King had done. Tom Dowd told me he said he told them he would never again work with or for Lynyrd Skynyrd ever again. And Atlantic Records cancelled the band's contract. Bottom line is Ed King was taking control over the band and music without permission. He simply did as he pleased and screwed over everyone to have his way. And this folks is what is behind what happened in Toronto but I am out of room for more words and will have to save it for later. Just know Ed King was taking over and forcing Artimus out and putting into place within the band who he wanted to while destroying what was left of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd. Ed King could not have cared less. He was a power and control freak. What he did to Allen Collins was unacceptable. What he did to Tom Dowd and Artimus Pyle was unacceptable. Paying band employees with blow was unacceptable. The Ed King coke mafia is what he was creating. Artimus was his victim in all of this. You need to hear the rest of it. RUclips is deleting my comments again. No rule violations. Leave my comments alone youtube!

I gotta say something about the end of Allen Collins band... Craig and Mike had the advantage of being there while it was happening and they got a certain perspective on things no doubt. I came into Allen's life when both Craig and Mike Sparks had hit the road and left town and were no where around in early 1985. I got to sit down with Allen and spend lots of hours with him at his house just talking about things and I was one inquisitive kid to say the least. Allen and I talked about the ACB and the end of it because at that time the very man who helped end it drove down to Florida and showed up at Allen's house. The Ronnie clone really wanted a job not realizing his clone act was actually driving Skynyrd band members away. Allen was not too pleased with him because if there is one thing band members hate it is people out there in the world who try and become clones of people like Ronnie Van Zant taking on the look and persona. Allen did not like it one bit. Artimus fired Brandon Miller from APB for doing it to Allen Collins right down to copying Allen's guitars. Band members do not care for wannabes. So Allen Collins told me that at the Lonestar Cafe in NYC during an ACB show things spun out of his control. Allen told me that a Ronnie clone showed up and wanted to get on stage and sing with ACB. Allen did NOT want this. But Jimmy Dougherty allowed the Ronnie clone to jump up on stage and sing with the band. Allen was livid. Furious. Surprised Allen did not blow up on both of them during the show, but Allen kept his cool. And as soon as Allen got done playing FreeBird for the last and final time of his career that night, he went backstage and blew up. He blew a 100amp fuse backstage. He said he knew he could not continue on like this. It was his stage. It was HIS band. He made the decisions. Not Jimmy Doughtery. Jimmy did not have permission from Allen to bring a Ronnie clone onto his stage. So this was done completely against Allen's will. His band was out of his control. Allen told me this is part of what made him throw in the towel on the Allen Collins band. And then he said of the Ronnie clone, and I quote Allen "he's not good enough!" And then Allen told me the real deal. Allen Collins told me that MCA Records would not pay him or his band not one penny to tour with or cover any touring expenses. Allen Collins told me face to face in person inside his house that he had to pay for everything out of his own pocket. He had to buy the gear. Even bought the drums Derek Hess was playing. Allen had to pay for touring expenses, gas, fuel, room and board. Rental trucks. He had to pay for everything out of his pocket he said. And he said those few shows he did had cost him around $200,000.00 and he was not making any of it back. In other words not only was he wasting his time and efforts on a band going nowhere, but he was going broke trying to tour that band around. Billy and Leon were not shelling out money out of their pockets on the band. Just Allen. This annoyed him to no end. He had to pay Craig and Mike Sparks here out of his own pocket. Allen said it became too much for him. And he just gave up and went home. Like I said, I came into it in April of 1985 and Craig and Mike Sparks were gone by then . No paycheck coming in any more I suppose. Band organization was non-existent and collapsing. The star of the show had given up. Both of Allen's studios, the one at his house and the Jacobs Ave studio were a mess and in disarray. Leon and Billy had been using it, but lordy was it a mess in there. Artimus and I started the cleanup along with Steve Reynolds and Larkin preparing for LSII project. No Craig and no Mike Sparks around any more. Just how it was. So that's the story I got straight from Allen's own mouth inside his house. He reached a point where he thought he was just wasting his time and spinning his wheels going nowhere and having to pay for it all out of pocket and band members taking over his band and stage and letting Ronnie clones intrude onto Allen's stage without his permission just became too much for Allen. He threw in the towel after that show. It would be the last and final time Allen Collins ever played FreeBird with a band. His guitar career was over.

Five stars guys excellent podcast

For me this was the best one of all.

Phenomenal podcast guys!! Thanks to you and thanks for your stories Mikee-so great to hear!

More Mikee, great stories

Lloyd Noble Center, Norman Oklahoma, Allen threw his guitar down and walked off stage, i was there, Fuk-n-a69😢

Thank you guys. Another great show. Very appreciated. Haven't missed one yet.

I didn't know Tuesday's Gone was about Kathy Collins. I really liked the story about her going out to the Hell House to bring Allen a Moon Pie and RC Cola. Great interview Craig & Griff!! Thank you Mike!! It was great having you on the show and hearing your stories.

This was a great one. I really enjoyed this. Great guest and stories.

Great guest.. always sending prayers to gene good health /luck ❤ Craig and griff

yea man i dont understand that kind of stuff man i did enjoy tha skynyrd stories o let me guess my comment was to hardcore or harsh o im so sorry dont be butthurt lol im juss fun n man love u guys man no offense just play n man

how come my first comment got deleted man wtf man

Yep , Mikee needs to come back sometime down the road for sure.

Please Clean Off your Face, So I Can Hit You Again, LOL, Tooo Much Craig, Mikee Had some Great Info Here, Thank You Man , It is A Cryin Shame on how Good Friends Become Enemies, This is A Strange Nature of Humans, That You just can't Figure Out Why this Happens,.....Heart Braking stories of the bitter end of Allen When his Wife Died, and his Downfall of really wanting to live after that, I can Relate to this, My First wife was killed in a Car Wreck, when I was out of town looking for work, I did not care about me or anything after this, R.I.P. to All....

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Craig’s higher than eagle nuts 😂

Great interview and some information we never heard before plus a great source confirming many stories we've heard.