“Sweet Home Alabama” played at Rickwood Field 50 years ago today

50 years ago today—on July 12, 1974—Lynyrd Skynyrd likely played the iconic song Sweet Home Alabama for the first time in the state at Birmingham’s historic Rickwood Field. The song was the b-side single from their album “Second Helping” which was released 18 days earlier. 

According to tour date records, the Rickwood Field concert was the first Alabama venue the legendary southern rock band played after the June 24 album release. 

At Rickwood Field: “We sweated to death”

Birmingham native and lifelong resident Charles Zanaty described what it was like at Rickwood Field that evening after hearing the song.

“It was a hot July night, really high humidity. We sweated to death, but it was good music.”

Charles Zanaty

What did Zanaty recall when the band sang Sweet Home Alabama?

“Because we were not [George] Wallace supporters, the part where they sang ‘we love the Governor,’ we all started laughing.”

Charles Zanaty

The night before the Birmingham concert, the band played in St. Charles, Louisiana, according to concertarchives.org. The setlist for the performance has not been found.

There is a chance the band played the iconic song before the release of the album.

In 1974, the band played numerous times in the state, including:

• Mobile – June 8
• Florence – April 22
• Birmingham – March 23 (Boutwell)
• Mobile – March 15

Lynyrd Skynyrd played more than 140 concerts that year across the world, from San Francisco to England.

Rickwood Field: James Brown to Jimmy Buffett

Are you surprised Rickwood Field was a popular music venue?

Friends of Rickwood Field Board member Coke Matthews reminded us how popular the site was for concerts and events.

“Rickwood was long the center of Birmingham’s social and cultural scene, before Legion Field and Boutwell. Into the very segregated 1950s and early sixties, acts such as James Brown and The Drifters were must-see acts at Rickwood. 

The 70s and 80s brought acts from Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beach Boys and Three Dog Night to the Osmonds.

The last concert at Rickwood—before Metro Boomin performed at the MLB event last month—was Jimmy Buffett’s impromptu performance on a flatbed for the extras of the Cobb movie.” 

Coke Matthews

Do you have memories of going to Rickfield for concerts? Tell us your favorite memory by tagging us on social media at @bhamnow!