Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboard player Billy Powell dead at 56

Newsjacksonville.com ^ | Jan. 28, 2009 | Matt Soergel

[OL Hickory]

Billy Powell, a longtime keyboard player for Lynyrd Skynyrd who survived the band's 1977 plane crash, died at his Orange Park condo early this morning, according to police.

[OL Hickory]

Prayers to his family!!

[massgopguy]

Wow, I think this leaves only Gary Rossington left from the original line-up. And they thought he’d be the first to go. That Smell is about him.

[Uncle Miltie]

In Memoriam:

If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be travelling on, now,
‘Cause there’s too many places I’ve got to see.
But, if I stayed here with you, girl,
Things just couldn’t be the same.
‘Cause I’m as free as a bird now,
And this bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I can’t change.

Bye, bye, its been a sweet love.
Though this feeling I can’t change.
But please don’t take it badly,
‘Cause Lord knows I’m to blame.
But, if I stayed here with you girl,
Things just couldn’t be the same.
Cause I’m as free as a bird now,
And this bird you’ll never change.
And this bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I can’t change.
Lord help me, I can’t change.

[My Favorite Headache]

Time to rename the band touring around now as LS. Clearly 1 original member left in the band does not make an entire name. RIP Powell..thanks for the tunes.

[GUNGAGALUNGA]

Just Damn. Wasn’t he severly overweight?

[Broker]

Free Bird!?

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

IIRC, the agreement with Ronnie Van Zant’s widow was they could call themselves Lynyrd Skynyrd as long as Rossington and two other original members were in the group (saw this mentioned in an article after Leon Wilkeson died). I also seem to recall that Gary Rossington is not on speaking terms with any of the other surviving original members.

I guess if Skynyrd continues, it’ll have to be under a new name.

[Snickering Hound]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PENBU3lrpE

[FlashBack]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHsDa9_HSlA

Enjoy.

[massgopguy]

Leonard Skinnerd. Their gym teacher’s real name.

[Publius Valerius]

Here’s a link to a great article from the WSJ that is now several years old:

“Rock’s Oldest Joke: Yelling ‘Freebird’ in a Crowded Theatre”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB111102511477881964.html

[mommadooo3]

I thought the surving members were renamed Van Zant??? Including Powell as a band member.

[mommadooo3]

ack....surviving

[THE MODERATE]

Depending on what you mean original or surviving there are only three others left. Bob Burns who is the original drummer, he played with band for the first time since 1974 at their hall of fame induction, he still gets royalties from the band, he is close to Ronnie Van Zants wife and children, he is not likely to return. Ed King was with the band when they reformed in 1987 but left for heath reasons he tried to return but the band would not take him. He also, seems to be retired from the industry. Artimus Pyle was the drummer in the accident and he has had legal and emotional problems I doubt he is able to perform. In the end I think the name should have already been retired they are nowhere near the greatness they once had I hope this time they let it go.

[Liberty Valance]

Rest in peace Billy.

[Wolfie]

Van Zant is a side project from brothers Donnie (of .38 Special) and Johnny (the current singer of Skynyrd).

Anyhow, RIP Billy.

[Wolfie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkTQUtx818w

[mysterio]

Prayers for Billy.

[dead]

Was this the guy who crawled away from the plane wreck, struggled through the swamp, then made it to some guy's house, where the guy shot him?

That was a pretty funny story, in a way.

[Crawdad]

Original drummer Bob Burns is still here in NW Georgia.