"Sweet Home Alabama" at 50: Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant, right, and Steve Gaines in 1977. (AP Photo/JLS) A recent photo of Alabama born singer/songwriter Taylor Hicks.

Sweet Home Alabama was released in September 2002 and took its title from the Lynyrd Skynyrd song of the same name. In its opening weekend, the film grossed over $35 million and earned over $130 ...