45 Years ago today members of the Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd were either killed or seriously injured when their charted plane crashed in rural Mississippi
Three days prior, their album "Street Survivor and this song had been released.
I had a ticket for that concert, being stationed at Kessler AFB in Biloxi at the time. Also had the street survivors album with the flames, too. Wish I'd kept that ticket. And the album was stolen along with several others several years later. (In a touch of poetic justice, the guy who stole them, died from aids by drug use.)
I was stationed on the USS Enterprise, home ported Alameda, CA, at the time.I had duty that day and another guy and I were in our Division (V-4) office listening to the radio that night, either KMEL or KSAN, I disremember. At first it was just reported that there had been a crash, no details. When the details came in it was extremely sad as I was a Jacksonville boy and had worked with Bobby Burns before in the early 70s. There was a lady DJ that night and she played all of their albums in a row, nothing said or spoken over the radio in between. Years later at a bar in the San Marco area of Jax I repeated that story to Leon Wilkeson. I don't think I have ever seen a grown man cry that much. Well, if I would have looked in a mirror I would have.
I was a young teenager and not a huge "rocknroller". I did like Skynrd and some other southern bands/sound (Allman Brothers, Ozark Mtn. Daredevils, Black Oak Arkansas, The Marshall Tucker Band, CDB, CCR, etc.). I had older cousins who were big fans of Skynrd and the others who played a lot of 8-tracks over and over. So, I was exposed.. I catch myself listening to some of this from time to time. I too heard about the crash on the radio.
I was 12, in bed, sick, and heard over the radio about the crash. I have to say, with the addition of Steve Gaines, they had their best lineup. Cannot think of any band with three guitarists like Rossington, Collins, and Gaines. The best keyboardist in Billy Powell, the great Ronnie Van Zant. So music great music never recorded
I lived in Gonzales just outside of Baton Rouge in 77. I worked with a women who went to LSU and we went to the good concerts that came through. Her name was Lynn Kidd and she was a super cute, girl next door type and she bought us tickets for the show. If I remember they were about $7 or $8. We could hardly wait for the show. Needless to say, everyone in the city was shocked when the plane went down. It was a sad ass week. I highly recommend this documentary if you are interested in what happened. Lynyrd Skynyrd The Last Stop - An Emma Harrington Documentary
Their last concert before the crash was at Greenville Memorial Auditorium In S. Carolina. It was torn down in 1997. Nothing has been built on the property since. This is prime real estate in downtown Greenville, beginning to believe it is cursed.
I was at Hinds Jr College in Raymond MS when it happened. We were working on a homecoming float for the Mighty Eagle Marching Band. That stopped work right away and we spent the rest of the night talking about them and singing to their songs on an 8 Trac somebody had in their car.
One of my all time favorite bands. Was lucky to see them back in 1975. Drum pedestal was lined with rebel flags. The good old non PC days. Side note, I have that album sealed, unopened, in a frame on my wall. Hybo
Did they have "dirt" on the Clintons?
ReplyDeleteA date that would be a good contender for the title "The Day the Music Died" - if there was such.
ReplyDeleteBuddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper all in one plane crash and Elvis was in the Army. Yeah, it died.
DeleteAnd the album cover showed the band in flames before the crash ever happened.
ReplyDeleteI still have that vinyl album with flames on it. I seem to remember it was recalled and re-released without the flames.
DeleteSad day fer sure. Bear Claw
ReplyDeleteI blame Neil Young.... heh!
ReplyDeletecleary.
DeleteAerosmith chartered plane previously. They reached the stratosphere with the masses shortly after..... hmmmmm
ReplyDeleteI had a ticket for that concert, being stationed at Kessler AFB in Biloxi at the time. Also had the street survivors album with the flames, too. Wish I'd kept that ticket. And the album was stolen along with several others several years later. (In a touch of poetic justice, the guy who stole them, died from aids by drug use.)
ReplyDeleteI was stationed on the USS Enterprise, home ported Alameda, CA, at the time.I had duty that day and another guy and I were in our Division (V-4) office listening to the radio that night, either KMEL or KSAN, I disremember. At first it was just reported that there had been a crash, no details. When the details came in it was extremely sad as I was a Jacksonville boy and had worked with Bobby Burns before in the early 70s. There was a lady DJ that night and she played all of their albums in a row, nothing said or spoken over the radio in between. Years later at a bar in the San Marco area of Jax I repeated that story to Leon Wilkeson. I don't think I have ever seen a grown man cry that much. Well, if I would have looked in a mirror I would have.
ReplyDeleteI was a young teenager and not a huge "rocknroller". I did like Skynrd and some other southern bands/sound (Allman Brothers, Ozark Mtn. Daredevils, Black Oak Arkansas, The Marshall Tucker Band, CDB, CCR, etc.). I had older cousins who were big fans of Skynrd and the others who played a lot of 8-tracks over and over. So, I was exposed.. I catch myself listening to some of this from time to time. I too heard about the crash on the radio.
DeleteI was 12, in bed, sick, and heard over the radio about the crash. I have to say, with the addition of Steve Gaines, they had their best lineup. Cannot think of any band with three guitarists like Rossington, Collins, and Gaines. The best keyboardist in Billy Powell, the great Ronnie Van Zant. So music great music never recorded
ReplyDeleteI lived in Gonzales just outside of Baton Rouge in 77. I worked with a women who went to LSU and we went to the good concerts that came through. Her name was Lynn Kidd and she was a super cute, girl next door type and she bought us tickets for the show. If I remember they were about $7 or $8. We could hardly wait for the show. Needless to say, everyone in the city was shocked when the plane went down. It was a sad ass week. I highly recommend this documentary if you are interested in what happened. Lynyrd Skynyrd The Last Stop - An Emma Harrington Documentary
ReplyDeleteTheir last concert before the crash was at Greenville Memorial Auditorium
ReplyDeleteIn S. Carolina. It was torn down in 1997. Nothing has been built on the property since.
This is prime real estate in downtown Greenville, beginning to believe it is cursed.
I was at Hinds Jr College in Raymond MS when it happened. We were working on a homecoming float for the Mighty Eagle Marching Band. That stopped work right away and we spent the rest of the night talking about them and singing to their songs on an 8 Trac somebody had in their car.
ReplyDeleteOne of my all time favorite bands. Was lucky to see them back in 1975. Drum pedestal was lined with rebel flags. The good old non PC days. Side note, I have that album sealed, unopened, in a frame on my wall. Hybo
ReplyDeleteAt a very pivotal moment in Con Air, Steve Buscemi muses on the crash.
ReplyDeleteDefine irony.
I was one month shy of being 17 and had just seen them play in Statesboro GA a week or so before the plane accident.
ReplyDelete