Lynyrd Skynyrd's Billy Powell has passed

[Welsh Wench]

Lynyrd Skynyrd's keyboard player Billy Powell died early this morning.

That leaves only Artimus Pyle, drummer, and Gary Rossington, guitarist, left of the greatest band of Southern Rock.

Rest in peace, Billy.

[Grov]

Another Simple Man gone... His impact lives on.

[Demetrius]

Phenomenal rock keyboard player- classically trained- one of the best ever!

Sad news.

[Lady Amy of York]

Rest in peace Billy.

I agree Welsh Wench. Lynyrd  Skynyrd  were and are one of  the  best, if  not  the  best  southern  rock  band  ever.

My husband and I danced  to " Freebird"  at our wedding .

[Rani Zemirah]

Skynard had an incredible shaping influence on my very early pre-teen years, and on into my mid twenties. Of the parties I can recall (yes, I had my own misspent youth) there was not one that ever left them of the playlist, and everyone knew all the words to every song, and could air-play every rif of guitar, lick of drums and keyboard note for each solo.

The passing of an Era is upon us, and the world will never be the same...

[Lady Amy of York]

Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the south-land
I miss 'ole' 'bamy once again
And I think it's a sin
Well I heard Mister Young sing about her
Well I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A southern man don't need him around anyhow
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
In Birmingham they love the Gov'nor
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a tune or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how bout you?
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

[MacLaren]

Sad news indeed. Saw them many a time. Rest in peace, Billy.

[Dracconia]

sad sad times

[Peddlin]

He will be missed.   


Wenchie -

The next time I see you remind me to tell you about my conversation with Artemus Pyle one night, about why Sweet Home Alabama is not the state song of Alabama.

[Sir William Marcus]

It is a sad day

R.I.P Billy

[Welsh Wench]

Will do, Peddlin'. 

And I'll tell you how knowing the names of every band member got me out of a speeding ticket with the local police!

[Peddlin]

Cool!   

[Pat McGroin]

R.I.P. my friend !!!     

I saw them on their return to Baton Rouge tour. Their first concert in B.R. since the crash.
He will be sadly missed but the music will let him live on.

[Sir William Marcus]

I will always remember that day when the plane went down. I was in high school and everyone was in a total state of disbelief. I'm surprised that they didn't set up a some kind of counseling service's that day, then again, maybe they did.  I specifically remembering all the girls that were just crying hysterically when they discovered the tragic news. Like I said, I will always remember that day.

Then years later. The Rossington Collins Band in concert performs a tribute to Ronnie, Steve & Cassie Gaines by placing a microphone center stage, putting a spotlight on it, and then performing an instrumental version of "Free Bird". There wasn't a dry eye in the whole arena. I will never forget that night either.

[Welsh Wench]

Allen Collins died of chronic pneumonia since he was paralyzed from the waist down in a car crash which killed his girlfriend. Drunk driving on his part.

The bassist, Leon Wilkeson was found sleeping with his throat slit and bleeding profusely. There were a few suspects, notably his girlfriend but no one knows for sure.
Then he died of chronic liver and lung problems.

Now here is where it gets a little tricky--

When Wilkeson died (2001), this put the group in a real bind since an agreement with Ronnie Van Zant's widow stated that at least three of Skynyrd's longtime members would have to be in attendance for it to be able to tour and issue albums under the name 'Lynyrd Skynyrd.'

They continued on anyway.

I missed the last concert. I had a baby two weeks before and didn't feel like going. 

[lordwriothsley]

From a die hard Skynyrd fan like myself he will be missed.

[Welsh Wench]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8mOC08SNYc&feature=related

And here you thought it was going to be Freebird.....

OK so the video isn't the best. But Ronnie Van Zant was so HOT!

Oh, to be a Honkette...

[Poldugarian Warrior]

That's sad. And you know what's sadder this is the first I'm hearing of it. And there was no mention of it in the news or the papers> he was one of the greatest piano/keyboard players of all time. I actually talked to Billy at the Palace here in Detroit. And it was my first concert. Lynyrd and ZZ, and I said Hey to him as we drove by to our parking spot and he the same, and I asked for some autographs, he said, maybe, but he was real busy at the time. I said no sweat, get to rockin man. he said thanks and have a good one. Seemed like a cool guy, and he was walking out the outside of the joint like any one else. So you know he wasn't no stuck up rocker like some of them. A true southern rocker. He will surely be missed.

[Welsh Wench]

Allen Collins had a sad life, I thought. He was seriously injured in the crash, suffering two broken vertebrae in his neck and severe damage to his right arm. The doctor recommended amputatin but Collins' father refused and Allen eventually recovered.

In 1981, Collins' wife Kathy suddenly died of a hemorrhage following a miscarriage.

In 1986 a car accident killed Collins' girlfriend and left him paralyzed from the waist down, with limited use of his arms and hands. Collins plead no contest to vehicular homicide as well as driving under the influence of alcohol. He would never play guitar on-stage again. As part of his plea bargain for the 1986 accident, Collins addressed fans at every Lynyrd Skynyrd concert with an explanation of why he could not perform, citing the dangers of drinking and driving, as well as drugs and alcohol.

Allen Collins died in January 1990 from chronic pneumonia resulting from complications of his earlier accident.

Regarding 'That Smell', Ronnie Van Zant said, "I had a creepy feeling things were going against us, so I thought I'd write a morbid song."

It was written in 1977, the year of the fatal plane crash.