“Free Bird” arguably has one of the most famous guitar solos of the 20th century, with the 14-minute live version serving as a clarion call for guitarists across the country. However, unfortunately, this week in history, the band Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed in the Mississippi wilderness on Oct. 20, 1977. The crash of the Convair 240 aircraft killed six passengers, including three members of the band: lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup vocalist Cassie Gaines.
The band started as teenagers in the ‘60s and ‘70s under the name “My Backyard,” gaining notoriety at local gigs around Jacksonville, Florida. They eventually earned national fame in 1973 with the release of their first album under the name Lynyrd Skynyrd. The name was inspired by their school gym teacher (read: nemesis), Leonard Skinner. Which explains why, for the longest time, I thought Lynyrd Skynyrd was a real, one-person rock star.
The release of their next albums brought a lot of success, but three days after the release of Street Survivors, their plane crashed while en route to their next show in Baton Rouge, La. The drummer, Artimus Pyle, survived the crash and has given accounts of his experience. Having been in the Marine Corps, he used his survival skills to help the 19 others injured in the wreckage. Leaving the crash with mostly minor injuries, Pyle went to get help, but he ended up getting shot by a farmer who thought he was a threat.
The crash was the result of fuel exhaustion, which led to complete engine failure. After an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, it appears that this accident could have been prevented had the pilots made better decisions. Essentially, what happened was that the right engine was consuming significantly more fuel than the left due to mechanical issues, and had the pilots made a refuel stop, the crash would not have happened. Despite this, Pyle held no ill will. In an interview with Forbes recounting the incident, he says, “They made several fatal decisions. I’ve never hated them or anything, because they didn’t want to die, their families didn’t want them to die.”
The world of rock lost some legends that day. Overall, musicians and plane crashes seemed to go hand in hand throughout the 60s and 70s, with the deaths of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, Jim Croce, Patsy Cline and others. Even going so far as to inspire Don McLean’s “American Pie” with the timeless lyrics, “The day the music died.”
Pyle says that Van Zant knew his destiny, that when they were in Tokyo, he had told Pyle that he wasn’t going to live past 30. The plane crashed when he was 29, three months before his 30th birthday.