Posted on 10/19/2007 10:21:26 PM PDT by MassRepublicanFlyersFan
Thirty years ago today, a rented plane took off from Greenville, S.C., headed for Baton Rouge, La. Just before dark, just before it reached the Louisiana line, the plane ran out of fuel and sank toward the Mississippi landscape below.
It first grazed the tops of the pine trees.
"It was like the sound of a billion baseball bats beating the side of the plane." Lynyrd Skynyrd bass player Leon Wilkeson described in an interview a decade ago.
The plane crashed down through the trees to the ground, breaking apart as it went. In the twisted, broken pieces of that 1947 Convair lay what was left of Jacksonville's greatest musical legacy.
Though there were 26 people on the plane, only six died that evening, Oct. 20, 1977. But killed along with the two pilots were three band members and the road manager for Lynyrd Skynyrd.
(Excerpt) Read more at jacksonville.com ...
I was stationed in the South for two years (1974-75) and I saw Skynyrd several times. I remember a concert with them and Marshall Tucker where Van Zant came out on stage, drunk on his ass carrying a bottle, and began singing with them.
I turned 11 years old that day. I was already a fan for life.
38 Special was from Jacksonville, too, and they made some pretty good music also.
Happy Birthday, 2007.
Man, 30 years ago. Amazing.
This was a good read.
LBT
......
When a mama lose a young un, there ain’t no sadder loss.
When a mama lose a young un, there ain’t no sadder loss.
They’re cursin the name of Jesus, laid aneath a Southern Cross.
I stood on the ground in England, I heard a hard Southern rain.
I stood on the ground in England, I heard a hard Southern rain.
Got a taste of Bourbon whiskey, and Mr J. J. Cale’s cocaine.
Nobody lives forever; some things never die.
Nobody lives forever; some things never die.
Like we did in The Land of Cotton, they tell me that Freebird always flies.”
Ray Wylie Hubbard, “Airplane Fell Down in Dixie”
Thanks for your wishes!
You have to wonder what would have happened...had no crash occurred. This group would have been the biggest group of the 1980s...and disco might have been stalled out. Just one of them “what if” situations.
Actually disco peaked out in the late '70s and was dead by the '80s. So it looks like disco and Skynard flourished at the same time.
Before this there was Ricky Nelson (December 31, 1985), and before that Buddy Holly, Richie Vallens and the Big Bopper (Feb. 3, 1959, The Day The Music Died.)
And of course before either of those, Major Glenn Miller (Dec. 15, 1944)
Actually disco peaked out in the late '70s and was dead by the '80s. So it looks like disco and Skynard flourished together.
My favorite band,even today.
I was lucky to see Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Spectrum in Philly about a year or so before the plane crash. A friend of mine had an extra ticket and asked me to go with him. Unfortunately, although I had heard of the band and knew maybe one of their songs, I really wasn’t familiar with their music.
One thing I remember clearly was the lead singer Van Zant getting testy because people kept yelling “Free Bird” as soon as they took the stage. I know it’s a standing joke nowadays, but it’s based on true fact - - saw it with my own eyeballs. Ronnie finally snapped and said something like, “Yeah yeah - - you know we’ll be doing that at the end!”
Yup...I was 15 when this happened and was into them then
(and still now; have the boxed set). Remember hearing the
news on the TV about the crash.
“Sweet home Alabama
Play that dead band’s song
Turn the speakers up full blast
Play it all night long”—Warren Zevon
Freebird
If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be travelling on, now,
There's too many places I haven't seen
And if I stayed here with you, now
Things just wouldn't be the same
Well I'm as free as a bird now,
And a bird you can not change.
And a bird you can not change.
And a bird you can not change.
Lord knows I can't change
Bye, bye, its been a sweet love.
And though this feeling I can't change.
Please don't take it badly,
The Lord knows I'm to blame.
And, if I stayed here with you now
Things just wouldn't be the same.
For I'm as free as a bird now,
And this bird you'll never change.
And the bird you can not change.
And the bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I can't change.
Lord help me, I can't change.
I have cassettes of it , but nothing digital.
Thanks! That was great!
I was talking to a friend about them the other day — Rudy Guiliani needs to court southern voters, but he listens to dead opera singers on his ipod, telling people Pavarotti was a friend of his — while down south we listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
I went to a concert of theirs back in the mid-70’s with ZZ Top, Blue Oyster Cult and the Outlaws — I was up front with festival seating. ZZ Top was the headliner but Skynyrd was everyone’s favorite.
Second Helping is my personal fave.
Here’s something totally different. It was one of my favorites as a high school yoot. Circa 1968.
Blue Cheer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kJONgWKFi0
Heh. I saw Blue Oyster Cult at Bucknell circa 1975 (Me and my buddies came down I-80 from Penn State.) Blue Oyster Cult was the headliner while Rush opened and Kiss went second. My ears rang for a week after that one.
As you can see by my tagline, I am second to none in opposing Rudy, but I am hard pressed to imagine a worse reason to support a Presidential candidate than his taste in music. Especially since I share his!
The Moody Blues, another great group, and Pink Floyd
Patsy Cline ...
A name from the past. I went to see them at the Shrine Auditorium way back them ... Summertime Blyes.
Thanks! (I still have my ‘Go Now’ 45rpm record up with the rest of my attic treasures.)
Also, I remember listening to ‘Nights in White Satin’ on my Sony Walkman while sleeping under a zillion stars in the Mojave Desert (Twenty-Nine Palms) back in 1984 during my Marine days. The perfect song.
Yep, and otis redding, too. His plane went down in wisconsin on the way to a concert in Madison, Wi.
And don’t forget Stevie Ray Vaughan, although his was a helicopter crash.
yes it has go to fye records they can have it ordered.
we miss you my friend ronnie the genius van zant and the rest of our brothers we lost not only in the crash 30 yrs ago all the southern rockers as you can see our little brother has filled in well we know your up in rock n roll heaven looking down upon the band making sure everythings alright ..we never say good bye we always say so long and remember this my friend ..southern rockers never die..they just keep on playin’ your gone but not forgotten bless you with all our love my friend FEELER POOBAH
As a hard rock fan since 1976, these guys were a no-brainer - and as a developing guitarist, they held my attention. Steve Gaines was a brilliant player, and very hard to mimic.
They got me with “One More From The Road”, one of the better live documents of a band ever put out - live these guys had a serious groove that you just don’t hear anymore, and they were all solid, talented musicians. I can’t imagine what they would have done later if they’d survived, seeing how great they were already. I’ve played ‘One More From The Road” for people who kinda know the band, and they’re amazed - “Dang, these guys were GOOD!”. If you don’t have this album, check it out, it seriously cooks, and shows the band at their best - onstage. Skynyrds rythym section doesn’t get nearly the attention they deserve, because the guitarists got all the lime light (which they more than earned).
I don’t think of them as “southern rock”, they were a rock band (No offense to Southerners, I know you take great pride in their heritage). And, one of the best rock bands ever. You don’t see this level of talent anymore - no flashy light shows, stages, costumes, or gymnastics, no corporate BS, no commerical junk, just a bunch of guys playing their hearts out, playing music they wrote and loved.
Just saw them a couple of months ago opening for Alice Cooper. They still put on a good show.
Randy Rhodes from Ozzy’s band was a plane crash.
What kind of pilots let their plane run out of gas? Had they fried their brains too?
How did you like the cowbell?
But I do think "Tuesday's Gone" is one of the most underappreciated rock tunes of all time.
FYI . . . Did you know that "Freebird" was written as a tribute to Duane Allman?
Ah those good memories....
you've got to hold on loosely, but don't let go.....
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