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Three members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd die in a Mississippi plane crash
History.Com(This Day in History) ^ | 10/20/2017 | staff

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 ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment
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To: blam

So do I...................


41 posted on 10/20/2017 7:56:52 AM PDT by Red Badger (Road Rage lasts 5 minutes. Road Rash lasts 5 months!.....................)
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To: Kid Shelleen

so what exactly made aerosmith decide not to go with these guys?


42 posted on 10/20/2017 7:57:41 AM PDT by wafflehouse (RE-ELECT NO ONE !)
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To: Kid Shelleen

I remember it well. I was working for the local daily in McAllen Tx.


43 posted on 10/20/2017 7:58:03 AM PDT by Liberty Valance (Keep a Simple Manner for a Happy Life :o)
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To: bigbob
"Concerns over the flight crew led Aerosmith to look elsewhere"

I believe the concern was the flight crew was drinking.
44 posted on 10/20/2017 7:58:06 AM PDT by jaydubya2
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To: Popman
Funny story...one of my grand kids had me listen to a great new song he found.... “Free bird”

My son did the same with me some years ago. He said he'd heard a great new acoustic song done by Metallica. It was called "Tuesday's Gone".

I said, "Ah, m'boy...you have much to learn. Come with me and let's listen to Ol' Dad's vinyl albums for a while and listen to some old Southern Rock. You'll be amazed at how derivative most of the music you listen to is."

He started playing guitar very soon thereafter...using Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers as inspiration and models. He is very, very good these days and writes his own stuff.

45 posted on 10/20/2017 7:58:51 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts ("Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." - Will Rogers)
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To: bravo whiskey
I was the platoon leader of a 4.2 mortar platoon in an armor battalion Germany.

IIRC, I was platoon leader for both Chaparral platoons in our composite Chaparral/Vulcan battery at Hahn AB. I was at Hahn until spring 79, when I was kicked up to Battalion HQ.

Can't recall when I transitioned over to a Vulcan platoon, though it was shortly thereafter. I had 3 AJ squad leaders and an E-5. Loved those guys, busted their tails for me.

We were the only platoon to pass during a battery level ARTEP. Our CO was a great staff officer, and should've stayed on staff.

46 posted on 10/20/2017 8:00:28 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Remember Gonzales! Come and Take It!)
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To: Kid Shelleen

I was a high school freshman in my bedroom doing homework when the news broke on Q102 (WKRQ Cincinnati).


47 posted on 10/20/2017 8:01:15 AM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Beer! Because you can't drink bacon!)
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To: Georgia Girl 2
"I remember it well. I’m from Jax"

I was stationed in Mayport '79 - '82. I remember news stories about Ronnie's headstone getting stolen so may times they stopped replacing it for a while.

Spent a good many nights at Skinner's Bar on the beach (owned by the namesake of the band Leonard Skinner). Don't know what ever came of that place. I don't think it exists any longer.

48 posted on 10/20/2017 8:01:26 AM PDT by Magnatron
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To: Kid Shelleen

I was a high school stoner living in Alabama.

A few days after the crash I skipped work to attend a Ted Nugent concert. Ted dedicated a particularly blistering guitar solo in their honor. It’s the best I’ve ever seen him play.


49 posted on 10/20/2017 8:02:05 AM PDT by Skooz (Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us)
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To: utford

Pilot error on fuel levels prior to take-off and one engine consuming excessive fuel.

NTSB crash report, page 3:

http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/FAA/AAR78-06.pdf


50 posted on 10/20/2017 8:02:07 AM PDT by Rebelbase (There are only two genders. The rest are mental disorders.)
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To: Kid Shelleen
I was 20 yrs old and in a NJ Southern Rock Club Band. We were in the studio rehearsing some of the new Skynyrd songs off the Street Survivors album.

When we were informed about the crash, a roadie went up to the liquor store for a couple of bottles of Jack Daniels, lit up a couple of "bones" and played Skynyrd as loud as the neighborhood could take till midnight.

People we pulling up and sitting outside the building where we rehearsed, as we were told, singing and crying.

When the police told us it was time to shut it down, they let us play Freebird with no interruptions.

It seems like it was yesterday. That night is burned into my memory forever.

51 posted on 10/20/2017 8:02:52 AM PDT by fedupjohn (The Alpha Male Chosen By The People to #MAGA....President Trump...)
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To: Kid Shelleen

I was pulling Alerts in the Titan II ICBM system at McConnell AFB, KS. Like others here I had just bought the Street Survivor album with the original jacket.


52 posted on 10/20/2017 8:04:01 AM PDT by OldMissileer (Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, PK. Winners of the Cold War)
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To: Kid Shelleen

evidently not paying attention


53 posted on 10/20/2017 8:04:09 AM PDT by Chickensoup (Leftists today are speaking as if they plan to commence to commit genocide against conservatives.)
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To: fedupjohn

One of my sons was 15 at the time,and was very upset.

I didn’t even know who they were.

.


54 posted on 10/20/2017 8:06:27 AM PDT by Mears
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To: Kid Shelleen
Had tickets to see them in Little Rock at Barton Collisuem. They were coming to the Rock after Baton Rouge.
55 posted on 10/20/2017 8:07:03 AM PDT by Hogblog
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To: Kid Shelleen

You scared me.


56 posted on 10/20/2017 8:07:08 AM PDT by McGruff (Lock Her Up! In a Padded Cell!)
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To: Kid Shelleen

I was destroying a copy of FreeBird because I was sick to death of hearing it.


57 posted on 10/20/2017 8:08:38 AM PDT by Seruzawa (TANSTAAFL!)
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To: Kid Shelleen
I remember back in 1976 I was living in Savannah,Georgia. Skynyrd was playing at the local concert hall (can't remember the name of the place.) It was sold out. Me and a bud went down to see if we could get a couple of scalped tickets. Apparently so did hundreds of other folks. The kids started pushing on the entry doors and throwing stuff,the cops came in with dogs and billy clubs,I grabbed my buddy and said "lets beat feet outa here!" Sigh,never did get to see them.
58 posted on 10/20/2017 8:14:38 AM PDT by 4yearlurker (We live in deeds, not years, in thoughts, not breaths.)
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To: Mears
Mears,

My Mom & Dad didn't know either, They sure learned who they were in 1978 when we hit the big clubs and they were on the Guest List for the shows. LOL

59 posted on 10/20/2017 8:16:20 AM PDT by fedupjohn (The Alpha Male Chosen By The People to #MAGA....President Trump...)
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To: Kid Shelleen

“Where were you ‘77?”

October: Working a dead-end retail job in San Francisco, trying to get into a Masers Program at SFSU. Vaguely recall hearing about the Lynrd Skynrd plane crash.


60 posted on 10/20/2017 8:24:39 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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