47 years ago, on October 20, 1977, three members of the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and three others died in a horrific plane crash.
The band had just released the ironically titled album, Street Survivors and were on their way to perform a concert at Louisiana State University in a charter plane.
On the way there, the plane ran out of fuel and crashed in a wooded area near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Lead vocalist, Ronnie Van Zandt, guitarist and vocalist, Steve Gaines and backing vocalist, Cassie Gaines all died in the plane crash along with both plane pilots and the band’s road manager.
Below are six links to articles about this dark moment in rock ’n roll history and a link to a video with Dan Rather discussing the crash with original member, Gary Rossington and then there’s also The MBIP Coming Attractions.
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Sunday Links
The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash: Inside One Of The Darkest Days In The History Of Rock Music - This is a good article which gives the back story, what happened in the crash and the after story. Gary Rossington eerily quotes Ronnie Van Zandt as saying, “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,”
45 years after Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, tragedy still fresh for survivor - This article was published two years ago on the 45th anniversary of the plane crash and includes quotes from drummer Artimus Pyle the drummer who survived the crash.
The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash: A Tragic End to a Southern Rock Legacy - This article reveals that Aerosmith considered using the same plane earlier, but their management inspected it and deemed it unsafe. Plus they saw the pilots passing a bottle of Jack Daniels back and forth, always a warning sign!
The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash - This is an all-encompassing article that details the bands history before, during and after the plane crash.
35 Facts About Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash - In addition to 35 interesting facts about the band and the plane crash, there’s also reflections and answers to frequently asked questions.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash: Pilot Errors and a Tragic Legacy - This article notes the pilot errors, the causes of the crash and the lessons learned from it.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Reflect on the Tragic 1977 Plane Crash - Original member Gary Rossington shares his memories of the crash with Dan Rather in this video.
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MBIP Coming Attractions
Monday: Last night I was going to go to Peoria’s newest Mexican Restaurant, Jalisco Bar & Grill that just opened up in Peoria Heights, but when I got there it was jam-packed and I decided to try it out another time. I ended up going to Wing•Stop and got some wings and a couple other items for a takeout meal that I ate right here at MBIP World Headquarters.
Tuesday: The summer is long gone, so I’m finally winding up our Dog Days Of Summer…2024 hot dog eating tour and I’m announcing my favorite hot dog of the tour and presenting an award to the winner! Tune in for this exciting presentation on Tuesday!
Wednesday: It’s been a while since we went on a Scott Turley Road Trip adventure, but we’re heading off on one today and you can read all about this trip this coming Wednesday!
Thursday: I’ll be giving you an update on my forthcoming book, Confessions of a Spiteful Writer this Thursday.
Friday/Saturday: I’ll be taking these two days off to work on that aforementioned book, but there will be “Best of MBIP” posts on facecrack and Twitter.
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Sunday Comic
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Related Posts: Sunday Links: Johnny Carson, Saturday Night Live and Abbey Road.