Lynyrd Skynyrd's last album cover originally had an eerie image of the band surrounded by flames Thirty years ago this weekend, Southern rock lost part of its family when the plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd ran out of gas and crashed into a swamp near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant; guitarist Steve Gaines; and his sister, backup singer Cassie Gaines, were killed. The other band members were seriously injured. The tragedy came just days after Lynyrd Skynyrd had released "Street Survivors," its sixth album since the band's 1973 debut. The crash added Lynyrd Skynyrd's members to the list of famous musicians who died in plane crashes. Skynyrd are immortalized by their famous (and most frequently covered) Southern rock anthem, "Sweet Home Alabama." Written as a response to "Southern Man," in which Neil Young accused the South of racism, it celebrates the rural roots of Southern rock -- that blend of rock, blues, folk, and country popularized by bands like the Allman Brothers in the 1970s. A Southerner to the end, and always faithful to his inspiration, Ronnie Van Zant was even buried with his favorite fishing pole. Suggested Sites... Everything Lynyrd Skynyrd - official site of the 22 band members who have kept Lynyrd Skynyrd alive. The Original Lynyrd Skynyrd - Ronnie Van Zant's widow keeps the memory of the original band. Plane Crash Info.com - extensive list of all plane crashes from 1908 to the present.

Directory categories: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rock Music, Aviation Accidents, Music Memorials

Archived under: Anniversaries, Aviation, Dead Celebrities, Entertainment, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Music, Rock and Roll

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