Posted on 10/20/2017 7:06:42 AM PDT by Kid Shelleen
In the summer of 1977, members of the rock band Aerosmith inspected an airplane they were considering chartering for their upcoming tour—a Convair 240 operated out of Addison, Texas. Concerns over the flight crew led Aerosmith to look elsewhere—a decision that saved one band but doomed another. The aircraft in question was instead chartered by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, who were just setting out that autumn on a national tour that promised to be their biggest to date. On this day in 1977, however, during a flight from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s tour plane crashed in a heavily wooded area of southeastern Mississippi during a failed emergency landing attempt, killing band-members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines as well as the band’s assistant road manager and the plane’s pilot and co-pilot. Twenty others survived the crash.
(Excerpt) Read more at history.com ...
I had seen them two or three years earlier at the Ozark Music Festival in Sedalia, the midwest’s version of Woodstock. I was doing the dad thing for my one year old, finished my six years in the Guard the year before, and oblivious to the world around me in many ways. Had a friend a few years later that was related to Van Zant — he shot out his television one night.
Heard them live again in ‘97 with my new love. She said she felt under dressed due to the lack of ink.
I was the platoon leader of a 4.2 mortar platoon in an armor battalion Germany.
Ronnie Van Zant is the one who ‘discovered’ Molly Hatchet and worked on arrangements of their songs and provided the recording space for their first demos.
He was also going to be the producer of their first album.
Pretty much all of the Southern bands were close, they had more of a sibling rivalry, but they all respected each other.
Legend has it Ronnie Van Zant was buried in the same Neil Young concert t-shirt he’s wearing in that album cover photo.
I was 24...young married....think we were at Griffiss AFB at the time....the salad days as I recall...wonderful memories...
I didn't know that! Thanks for sharing the legend!
The first part makes it sound like there was something wrong with the aircraft, but in the end it sounds like they just ran out of fuel. Was there a problem or was it pilot error that cause the crash?
but I can't tell you where I was when Thurmond Munson died...
“Wasnt a movie squashed?”
IMO from what I’ve read in the past, there’s bad blood between Artimus Pyle and Gary Rossington and Judy Van Zant—Ronnie’s widow.
IIRC, Rossington and Ms. Van Zant control the Skynyrd name.
Pyle is SOL.
Pilots didn’t measure the fuel tanks correctly prior to take-off.
Ah. Yeah, that’ll do it. THanks.
“Oh, won’t you
Gimme three steps, gimme three steps, mister
Gimme three steps towards the door?
Gimme three steps, gimme three steps, mister
And you’ll never see me no more”
For, sure
Starting my first year of college.
Don't neglect the Dixie Dregs in your travels!
I heard that they had an engine problem during flight and went to dump the fuel from that engine but dumped the wrong tank - not sure if that story is true though.
I saw Stevie Ray Vaughn in concert 2 months before his helicopter crash. What a blues guitarist he was.
Jacksonville, Florida........Home of Lynyrd Skynyrd..........
No salsa?......................
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.