I just heard about this on the radio. Sad. He was one monster of a piano player, and seemed like a really nice person as well.

Truly sad. He IS free as a bird now though.

*holds up lighter*

Gyd nyght, fynnyman.

Can I still go to a "Lynyrd Skynyrd" concert tho?

Link (new window)

Whew, thanks!

Heaven has been renamed Alabama

Geez, Gary is the only surviving original member now.

RIP

cksewell: Heaven has been renamed Alabama

Well I wouldn't go that far...

I am listening to Skynyrd right now

Here's one of the most idiotic things I've read about him, from another news story: "He was one of the sole survivors of the band's 1977 plane crash."

Um. One of the sole survivors?

I saw him at the Wal-Mart here in Jacksonville about 5 years ago and did a double take. He gave me a glare that was definitely meant to be interpreted as "Don't say a word..."

BigEd: I saw him at the Wal-Mart here in Jacksonville about 5 years ago and did a double take. He gave me a glare that was definitely meant to be interpreted as "Don't say a word..."

I wouldn't have outed him, but I would have at least had to say "hi, how's it goin?"

dletter: Can I still go to a "Lynyrd Skynyrd" concert tho?

Link (new window)

Whew, thanks!



You mean they didn't take the dates down yet. OH MY GOD!

Geez, give them a break. He's not even cold yet and you're biatching that ticketmaster isn't on top of it.
Now if the dates are still there tomorrow or maybe even Friday, then you can continue with your outrage.

Brettster808: Geez, Gary is the only surviving original member now.

RIP

Actually, Rickey Medlocke was their drummer when they first started out, just before their first album was released.
Gary Rossington has said that Skynyrd would continue on as long as there were 2 original members still in the band, so they may still carry on.

what a shame - when i was in highschool every pianoplayin rocknroll wanna be tried to play sweet home for me, to get in my band ...
nobody had the chops .. they could all play layla - but not sweet home

and

56? really ?
Damn what happened ?

Gary Rossington has said that Skynyrd would continue on as long as there were 2 original members still in the band

stay classy

dletter: Can I still go to a "Lynyrd Skynyrd" concert tho?

Link (new window)

Whew, thanks!

hah...I was just about to say that luckily this won't affect their touring schedule. they're basically just a bunch of replacements raping the band name at this point.

Gary Rossington has said that Skynyrd would continue on as long as there were 2 original members still in the band he can still peddle the rotting corpse of a former good band at state fairs.

FTFY

sugarmagnolia94: dletter: Can I still go to a "Lynyrd Skynyrd" concert tho?

Link (new window)

Whew, thanks!

hah...I was just about to say that luckily this won't affect their touring schedule. they're basically just a bunch of replacements raping the band name at this point.

VimFuego, see this response as to what the point of my post was.

quintas: Gary Rossington has said that Skynyrd would continue on as long as there were 2 original members still in the band he can still peddle the rotting corpse of a former good band at state fairs.

quintas: Gary Rossington has said that Skynyrd would continue on as long as there were 2 original members still in the band


stay classy

Hey, I never said I approved of it.

Saw Skynyrd quite a few times since they reunited in the late 80's. Always a great show. the last time I saw them, about 3 years ago or so, Hughie Thomasson had left the band to rejoin The Outlaws. Was disappointed that they didn't replace him. Rossington and Medlocke tried their best, but it definitely wasn't right without the third guitar.

3StratMan:
Saw Skynyrd quite a few times since they reunited in the late 80's. Always a great show. the last time I saw them, about 3 years ago or so, Hughie Thomasson had left the band to rejoin The Outlaws. Was disappointed that they didn't replace him. Rossington and Medlocke tried their best, but it definitely wasn't right without the third guitar.

I saw Skynyrd right after Ed King quit and before Steve Gaines joined them (although I saw that version twice) and can't say I disagree. It was good, but not great. Version with Steve Gaines? All kinds of awesome.

Now get the fark off my lawn.

/RIP pianoman - you were a monster keyboardist that helped LS be one of the greatest bands God ever created

Walked out on these guys TWICE back in the day cuz they sucked so much live, especially the d'wad bass player, what a jackazz.

Is it still a group if only two of the original ten members are alive?

Rossington-Collins Band for the win.

Ronnie,Connie,Lonie,Donnie,Bonnie,Jimmie,Lillie now Billie and they still have five original members !.

pope183:
56? really ?
Damn what happened ?

Sweet Home Alcohola?

RIP Billy! (new window) Always loved the way you played the piano!

the_rev:

Here's one of the most idiotic things I've read about him, from another news story: "He was one of the sole survivors of the band's 1977 plane crash."

Um. One of the sole survivors?

Where did they bury em?

turn it up...

Leon's bass is on eBay. 14 hours left, you could own the bass that recorded FREEBIRD!

/item 320334554119

Had the pleasure of sitting in with him a few times during the mid 90's. That boy could bang out some mean piano. Super nice guy, and definitely coaxed some soul outta my playing with my time with him, which unfortunately was only for a few shows.

Saw him again a few years ago when I was playing a festival downtown. I don't know if he truly remembered who I was, since it had been 12 years since I played a week's worth of shows with him, but I'd like to think he did. Got my chance to tell him that those few shows were still among the most fun I had ever had playing. Countless nights over an 18 year career as a musician, and I still remember how much fun those jams were.

Thanks for that, Billy.

That piano solo on "Call Me the Breeze" blows my mind every time I hear it.

RIP, Billy.

Thing I remember most about Billy Powell, besides his piano playing, was that he faced the press right after the plane crash with his face all cut up and his nose looking like a summer squash.

And I saw him later on some kind of Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute show, talking about playing in London as the warm up band for the Who, and bragging about blowing them off the stage. He said with a big grin "I knew then that we had arrived".

Swore I saw a free bird fly, Ridin' the winds of the Southern Sky
RIP Billy Powell

Saw the reformulated version on July 4th, 1998, in Greenville, SC. It was pushing 100 and a wee bit humid. They played some field that was on a slope, with a freight track running behind the stage. When the only train of the afternoon passed by, the engineer slowed down to a couple miles an hour, probably so he could enjoy the music for the minute or two it took him to pass about 100 yards behind the stage.

It was the first time they'd played Greenville since the day of the plane crash [happend on the way home from a show in Greenville, and they'd just never wanted to play there again]. When the train got immediately behind the stage, the engineer gave a long, low whistle blow, and I got goosebumps on my whole body. It was a very special moment in a great concert.

I was too young to go to concerts their first time around, I was 15 when the crash happened.

RIP Mr. Powell. Just spent a few minutes watching some old Youtube of the band from '75 and '76.

This may be partly my fault, I listened to Neil's Southern Man yesterday when I had the Decade disks on.

im glad my band started learning 'free bird' last week. time to play it to death at practice tonight.

...sigh, since no one else...
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As a Senior in high school, I saw the last show in Greenville in '77. Next morning, before the first bell, after we heard about the plane crash, my freak friends and I stood in the parking lot at Eastside High School (Taylors, SC) and smoked a J while listening to "Working for MCA" on a car's 8-track.

Skipped school, got ripped, listened to Street Survivors.

Because I saw that last concert, no other body of music brings back memories for me like Skynyrd's does.

The Wikipedia listing for the album "Second Helping" credits Ronnie Van Zant with "lead & backing vocals, J&B." After seeing them three times, I can tell you that's all you need to know about the original lineup. That was a talented, hard partying, Southern Rock band.