Allen Collins Band

Allen Collins Band

The Allen Collins Band was a spinoff of southern-rock bands Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Rossington-Collins Band. It existed from 1983 to 1984 and was formed shortly after the dissolution of the Rossington-Collins Band.

Most of the members carried over from the Rossington-Collins Band, with the exceptions of Dale Krantz and Gary Rossington, who quit after a row with Collins. The Collins Band's name was originally Horsepower, but just prior to the band's release of its debut album it discovered another band was already using that name. The Allen Collins Band released "Here, There and Back" on MCA in 1983, its only album. Collins was emotionally drained due to the sudden death of his wife, Kathy, and as his behavior became more and more erratic, the band began to disintegrate. Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings helped Collins put together a new line-up in 1984 and wrote several unreleased songs with Collins. Owings later worked with Molly Hatchet (1999–2000). Vocalist/guitarist Michael Ray Fitzgerald replaced Owings in early 1985, bringing bassist Phil Price aboard also, but the project completely fell apart at this point (Fitzgerald and Dougherty had already formed Mike Angelo and the Idols, with Dougherty on drums; Dougherty also played drums for several years with St. Augustine alt-country band Gunga Din, later renamed Crabgrass). Keyboardist Billy Powell and bassist Leon Wilkeson re-joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987. Guitarist Randall Hall formed the Randall Hall Band, with which he still performs. Barry Harwood moved to Nashville. Derek Hess lives in Jacksonville and performs regularly with various local bands.

Wilkeson died July 27, 2001 (born April 2, 1952). Powell died Jan. 28, 2009 (born June 3, 1952). Dougherty died January 20, 2008 (born November 3, 1951).