It’s Ronnie Van Zant’s Baby Photo!

Yes, this sweet, innocent-looking child grew up to be one of southern rock's greatest rebels, Lynyryd Skynyrd's dearly departed singer and lyricist Ronnie Van Zant.

Van Zant was born Jan. 15, 1948, in Jacksonville, Fla. Sixteen years later he formed Lynyrd Skynyrd with a group of friends and classmates, including Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. Nine years later their debut album, 'Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd,' heralded their arrival on the national scene with classic songs like 'Tuesday's Gone,' 'Gimme Three Steps' and the anthemic 'Free Bird.'

A tragic 1977 plane crash took the lives of Van Zant and bandmates Steve and Cassie Gaines just three days after the release of their masterful album 'Street Survivors.' His loss is still felt in the classic-rock community to this day, but at least he left a lot of great music behind for us. You can read more about Van Zant's life at LynyrdSkynyrdHistory.com.