The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash: Inside One Of The Darkest Days In The History Of Rock Music

The devastating Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash near Gillsburg, Mississippi on October 20, 1977 claimed the lives of both pilots and about half of the band's members.

Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock PhotoLynyrd Skynyrd lost half of its band members in the 1977 plane crash.

Three days after releasing their fifth album, Street Survivors, the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded an airplane bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There was one problem, however: The plane didn’t have enough fuel to make it there. The pilots attempted an emergency landing, but their efforts were in vain. The infamous Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash claimed the lives of three band members, the pilot, the co-pilot, and the band’s assistant road manager.

The band members were lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and his sister, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines. Twenty others on board survived the crash, though none made it out unscathed. And as for the band, with half of its members now dead, it seemed that Lynyrd Skynyrd had reached the end of their road.

A decade later, Johnny Van Zant, the brother of Ronnie Van Zant, would reform the band as a tribute act, eventually going on to put out new music under the Lynyrd Skynyrd name. And while Lynyrd Skynyrd continued to be a success after the crash, it was never truly the same — and Oct. 20, 1977 is still remembered as one of the most tragic days in rock music history.

Who Were Lynyrd Skynyrd?

Lynyrd Skynyrd, in its first incarnation, was formed in Jacksonville, Florida by vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Gary Rossington, guitarist Allen Collins, bassist Larry Junstrom, and drummer Bob Burns. Originally known as “My Backyard,” the band made music together for five years before changing the name to “Lynyrd Skynyrd” in 1969.

Between ’69 and 1977, the band would make a few lineup changes, including adding bassist Leone Wilkeson, keyboardist Billy Powell, and guitarist Ed King. In 1974, Burns was replaced by Artimus Pyle, and in 1975, King left as well. A year later, in 1976, Steve Gaines joined the band — though his tenure would be tragically short-lived.

While Lynyrd Skynyrd were popular in their heyday, they are best known today for the songs “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird.” And although the band is still around today, its lineup is obviously quite different — and that’s largely because of the 1977 plane crash.

“We Didn’t Know Any Better” — The Moments Just Before The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash

Lynyrd Skynyrd released their fifth studio album Street Survivors on Oct. 17, 1977. The album’s original cover artwork depicted the band members standing in a street, surrounded by flames — an image which, in hindsight, is disturbingly ironic. It was later changed to just feature the band against a black backdrop.

That year, Lynyrd Skynyrd were touring to promote the new album. Two days after its release, they played a gig at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina, with the next stop on the tour set to be Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

At the time, they were flying in an old, rickety Convair CV-240. The plane was nearly 30 years old, and the flames that had shot out from its right engine when they flew it to Greenville did little to inspire any confidence among the band members. Understandably, several members were hesitant to go anywhere near the thing.

“Our wives, everyone were afraid for us to get on this thing, but we didn’t know any better,” Billy Powell recalled in a 1997 interview with VH1’s Behind the Music, according to Rolling Stone.

Cassie Gaines, backup singer and sister of guitarist Steve Gaines, mentioned that she was apprehensive to board the plane. Allen Collins felt the same way. The only person, it seemed, who was comfortable boarding the plane was Ronnie Van Zant. But he was able to convince the rest to get on.

“Ronnie said, ‘Hey, if the Lord wants you to die on this plane, when it’s your time, it’s your time. Let’s go, man. We’ve got a gig to do,'” Gary Rossington recalled in a 1988 interview with the Orlando Sentinel.

Collins got on the plane, but he didn’t feel good about it. The band did decide, however, that once that plane touched down in Baton Rouge, they’d look for a new one to get them around.

“We had talked about that an hour before we went down,” Pyle said. “We had decided to get a Learjet for the band, a beautiful bus for the crew. It was ridiculous 

Thanks for reading leave your thoughts in the comments section below

Read more on our Rare History Channel