(b. July 19, 1952, d. January 23, 1990)

He was the original guitarist from Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Allen, who survived the accident, endured many problems after the crash which led to his death. He was very heavy into pain medication and his organs shut down. His pain of killing his girlfriend in a car crash and the loss of his band just left him devistated. ~Jim Sheaffer-Smokin’Guns

Surviving guitar player Allan Collins lost his wife in 1980 and in 1986 his girlfriend. Allen formed the short-livrd Rossington-Collins Band with other Lynyrd Skynyrd survivors, became wheelchair-bound from a car accident, and died of pneumonia on January  23, 1990.~We’ll Always Remember

Once again tragedy struck Allen in 1986. Driving near his home in Jacksonville, Allen crashed his car in an accident which killed his girlfriend and left him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. The injuries also limited the use of his upper body and arms. He later plead no contest to DUI manslaughter.  In 1989, Allen developed pneumonia as a result of decreased lung capacity from the paralyzation. He entered the hospital in September where he passed away on January 23, 1990.  ©The Freebird Foundation, Inc. ~Skynyrd.com