Leonard Skinner: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Proposed deletion/dated |
|||
|concern = Not really a notable person, doesn't really deserve an article. |
|||
|timestamp = 20100920221245 |
|||
}} |
|||
{{construction}} |
{{construction}} |
||
{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
Revision as of 22:12, 20 September 2010
It is proposed that this article be deleted because of the following concern:
If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming, or merging the page, please edit this page and do so. You may remove this message if you improve the article or otherwise object to deletion for any reason. Although not required, you are encouraged to explain why you object to the deletion, either in your edit summary or on the talk page. If this template is removed, do not replace it. This message has remained in place for seven days, so the article may be deleted without further notice. Find sources: "Leonard Skinner" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR Nominator: Please consider notifying the author/project: {{subst:proposed deletion notify|Leonard Skinner|concern=Not really a notable person, doesn't really deserve an article.}} ~~~~ Timestamp: 20100920221245 22:12, 20 September 2010 (UTC) Administrators: delete |
![]() | This article or section is in a state of significant expansion or restructuring. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it as well. If this article or section has not been edited in several days, please remove this template. If you are the editor who added this template and you are actively editing, please be sure to replace this template with {{in use}} during the active editing session. Click on the link for template parameters to use.
This article was last edited by Pookeo9 (talk | contribs) 13 years ago. (Update timer) |
Leonard Skinner | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | September 20, 2010 | (aged 77)
Nationality | American |
Forby Leonard Skinner (January 11, 1933 – September 20, 2010) was an American high school gym teacher who was the namesake for the rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd. The New York Times called him "arguably the most influential high school gym teacher in American popular culture."[1]
Biography
Skinner was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1933 and graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1951. He attended Jacksonville Junior College on a basketball scholarship before being drafted into the U.S. Army. After his discharge from the Army, Skinner attended Florida State University, graduating in 1957.[2]
For many years, Skinner was a gym teacher at his alma mater, Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville. Several members of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, including Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington and Bob Burns, were students at the school. Skinner's strict enforcement of a policy against long hair inspired the members to name their band after him. The group reportedly changed their name after Skinner sent Rossington to the principal's office for wearing his hair too long.[1]
Interviewed in January 2009, Skinner said he was just following the rules about hair length. It bothered him that the legend had grown that he was particularly tough on the band members or that he had them kicked them out of school. He said, "It was against the school rules. I don't particularly like long hair on men, but again, it wasn't my rule."[2] At the same time, Skinner told The Times-Union of Jacksonville, "They were good, talented, hard-working boys. They worked hard, lived hard and boozed hard."[1] Skinner's son said, "I think he kind of ate it up. He didn’t like it at first, he had mixed emotions later, but I think he kind of liked it eventually."[1]
Skinner later taught at Jacksonville Technical High School, and retired from coaching entirely in 1970. After coaching high school, Skinner worked in the real estate business. He is still referred to by friends and family as "Coach Skinner".
Skinner later became friends with some members of the band, and they played at a bar that Skinner opened in Jacksonville called "The Still." Skinner also named a couple of bars after himself, capitalizing on the fame of the name.[2]
Coincidentially Leonard Skinner is also the name of a fictitious camper in the Allan Sherman song Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh introduced with the line "You remember Leonard Skinner... he got ptomaine poisoning last night after dinner."
In September 2010, Skinner died at a nursing home in Riverside, Florida at age 77. At the time of his death, The New York Times called him "arguably the most influential high school gym teacher in American popular culture."[1]
External links
References
- ^ a b c d e Dave Itzkoff (September 20, 2010). "Leonard Skinner, Namesake of Rock Band, Dies".
- ^ a b c Matt Soergel (September 20, 2010). "Leonard Skinner, Lynyrd Skynyrd inspiration, dies at 77". The Times-Union, Jacksonville, Florida.