If you’re new to Jacksonville, you might not be aware that we’re a city of true talent here. Artists, musicians and authors from all levels of celebrity stature call River City their home. Here are just a few musicians from Jax that you might already be familiar with:

Lynyrd Skynyrd

An OG of Jacksonville, Lynyrd Skynyrd was founded over forty years ago and still rocks on today, despite the many losses of band members over the years. In case you weren’t aware, the Ronnie Van Zant Memorial Park is located in Lake Asbury, Florida, and is open to the public for families to visit. The only surviving original member of the band, Gary Rossington, continues to play on tour, joined by a number of talented musicians. You can read the band’s bio here.

Limp Bizkit

If you just moved here from out of state and you don’t know the first thing about Jax, then you might not know that an artist as influential to rock as Limp Bizkit came out of Jacksonville. While the band doesn’t boast a bio page like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allmusic has the most well-known version of how Limp Bizkit got off the ground.

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Okay, so not Jacksonville exactly, but Middleburg is considered a neighborhood of Jacksonville, kind of– the zoning is very confusing out there– but Red Jumpsuit Apparatus deserves a mention anyhow. You know them from their hit song, “Face Down,” which tells the story of a girl in an abusive relationship who’s finally had enough. While that song was pretty much their only hit, it played on the radio for what seems like two whole summers and made it onto a NOW: That’s What I Call Music CD. 

Yellowcard

Like Limp Bizkit, Yellowcard doesn’t have an official bio page to pull this from, but it’s pretty well-known that Yellowcard formed in Jacksonville in the late 90’s before they moved their gig out to California in 2000. “Ocean Avenue” is their most popular song out of their ten albums, but you might also recognize “Lights and Sounds,” as well as their 9/11 tribute, “Believe.” 

Molly Hatchet

The 1970’s was a defining time for music in the South, and Jacksonville was no different, giving rise to many bands like Molly Hatchet. They are still active, touring and making music to this day, though they have lost members over the years like Lynyrd Skynyrd. A top song by Molly Hatchet you would probably recognize is their 1980’s hit, “Flirtin’ With Disaster.” You can read their bio here.

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