His wife, Lola, and my wife grew up together. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. In 1977, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Stevie Gaines and Gaines' sister, Cassie Gaines, were killed in a plane crash. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. Contributing to the fuel exhaustion were inadequate flight planning and an engine malfunction of undetermined nature in the engine which resulted in higher than normal fuel consumption.". A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. Circa 1975, Singers Cassie Gaines , Leslie Hawkins and Jo Jo Billingsley of the American rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1970s. The choppers belonged to the Coast Guard, National Guard and Forrest County General Hospital, who were doing their best to ferry people in, and illuminate the crash site. Cassie Gaines was born on January 9, 1948 and died on October 20, 1977. "You like Lynyrd Skynyrd?" Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. At the beginning of the flight, all was well, amid high tensions. Powell also claimed that Ronnie Van Zant's head had been smashed. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2fad0cc830fa72 Soon after the plane would begin to jerk and shake violently. But we were both enjoying it. Everyone knows him as "Governor." On October 20, 1977, they would board a flight bound for Louisiana that would crash in Gillsberg, Missippi and claim the lives of band members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, along with Pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. After the death of three of their members, the band decided to change the cover photo of the album, which initially featured a picture of the band engulfed in flames. I photographed their wedding. The guys hit the dirt and yelling out with what they had left Hey! It was there that he struck up a fractured conversation. Truth be known, after 38 years, Martin is a little tired of talking about the whole thing. As we talked, we heard a racket through the trees. The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. He then assembled a convoy of trucks and four-wheelers to locate the crash site and rescue the survivors. Apparently, Artimus had been quoted saying that Ronnie got up, went to the back of the plane and gave him a hippy handshake but Gene was quite persistent on the fact that it was complete bull. Then on the other side, it was Allen in the middle of Dean and Cassie. Another 20 were injured, which included keyboardist Billy Powell, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, drummer Artimus Pyle and bassist Leon Wilkeson. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. I would like to think that only one grave robber was involved, but so many items were missing that I have to believe otherwise. It was as if they were back in Noahs time and all but a select few were stricken with greed of mankind and the chance to capitalize on an easy opportunity. Allen Collins, another guitar player for the group, had cracked two vertebrae, and the cut to his right arm was so severe, that it almost required amputation. I began the classic guitar lick. In 1977, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Stevie Gaines and Gaines sister, Cassie Gaines, were killed in a plane crash. Violent, wild, and belligerent, Ronnie was a force to be reckoned with. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. ", "There were plenty of old boys standing around here. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. Yen.com.gh shared an interesting piece on Bianca Lawson age, parents, husband, kids, net worth, and movies. In a separate interview, revealing the story of sound man Paul Welch who suffered traumatic injuries in this crash and was sent into a coma, shares that the plane that was utilized during this trip was already catching fire around the engine area and Lynyrd Skynyrd had requested to cease using it. He hopes to publish in time for the 40th anniversary of the crash. Medical personnel arrived and began to ferry out the injured and the dead. Cassie Gaines, Steve Gainess sister who were both bound for death in the crash, would routinely ride on the equipment bus rather than the plane. Artimus Pyle once said they were flying in a plane that he believed belonged to the Clampett family (they were the family from the Beverly Hillbillies, a family notorious for using pieced together equipment.). Thats when most of the sober members of the band saw that the right propeller was no longer working. Photo: Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader. Leon Wilkeson and Billy Powell would both go on to pursue other musical ventures and both have a hand in several Lynyrd Skynyrd re-boots. On hearing of the accident, Billingsley was so shaken that some of her hair fell out. A medical examiner said on Sunday that Wilkeson suffered from chronic liver and lung disease, and most likely died of natural causes. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 10/20/77 and a notebook-sized rebel flag are deeply etched into the old bark. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Especially Artimus, who had three broken ribs and multiple large cuts. "I knew she was gone. He had been hospitalized since September. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. The cockpit, tail, and wings completely ripped apart and the remaining cab lay desolate, in the shape of an L. The plane was simply not built well enough to even remotely handle the impact from the pine trees at roughly 90 mph. Collins and other band members were severely injured. He was known as Papa Ronnie. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a FANDOM Music Community. Allen Collins suffered two cracked vertebrae in his neck, and both Collins and Leon Wilkeson nearly had arms amputated as a result of crash injuries. Gary Rossington, one of the bands guitar players, had suffered two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver. Most of the 20 survivors were taken to Southwest Regional Medical Center in McComb, where the lobby had been transformed into a makeshift emergency treatment center to quickly deal with the onslaught of plane crash victims. "I was well prepared with advanced trauma life support training," he said, "and (I was) a flight surgeon in the military. But not all had the intentions of lending a helping hand. I threw it in reverse and plowed into my mother-in-law's car. It was known that the right engine's magneto a small power generator that provides spark and timing for the engine had been malfunctioning (Powell, among others, spoke of seeing flames shooting out of the right engine on a trip just prior to the accident), and that pilots McCreary and Gray had intended to repair the damaged part when the travelling party arrived in Baton Rouge. For members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, the weight of what happened seemed to push down on them the most. "I had expertise on what to do and growing up in Amite County, Mississippi didn't hurt. "I'd never seen anything like that," he said. David Bowie Reveals His Favorite Songwriters, Michael Jacksons Daughter Release New Song, Fans Wants To Cancel Roger Waters Concerts, Ozzy Osbourne Give Update On Possible Touring, Why Keith Richards Was Jealous Of The Beatles, Dave Grohl Reveals His Favorite Paul McCartney Track. Mote hopped into his pick-up to get back to his house, told his wife to get back in the house, then proceeded to grab his gun and stand guard. Cassie Gaines Lynard Skynyrd plane crash was one of the band's most challenging moments. One band member, JoJo Billingsly, was not on the flight. Artimus Pyle, drummer for the band, stops for a quick picture while en route to the next show. Was there a guest book?". When Aerosmith's crew heard of Skynyrd's misfortune, they were shocked, but not necessarily surprised. Cassie Gaines was a talented and committed backup singer for the Lynard Skynyrd music band until she died in a plane crash. One of the three men was the band's drummer Artimus Pyle, who yelled, "Plane crash." She died from excessive bleeding as her throat had been cut from ear to ear. According to Powell, Cassie Gaines' final moments were particularly painful as she bled to death in his arms and that her throat had been cut from ear to ear, which gave more indications of execution than an accident. A spokesperson for the band's record label said Wilkeson died in his sleep Friday at a hotel near Jacksonville, Florida. When he was sober, he was a fair and kind person. He was the New Orleans-based photographer for the Associated Press Jack Thornell, known for his Pulitzer Prize winning photo of civil rights leader James Meredith. The band got its name as a way of mocking Leonard Skinner, a gym coach at Robert E. Lee High School known for punishing his long-haired students specifically band co-founders Gary Rossington and Bob Burns. Both brother and sister were killed in the airplane crash that also took the life of Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. Rossington recalls saying It was always weird for Allen and me because we were up front in the plane. Everyone just stood there helpless. The will to carry on was strong, however, Pyle being a US Marine, would live out the phrase Semper Fidelis which means always faithful. With a newly-released album, "Street Survivors," they were flying from a concert in Greenville, S.C. to the next night's show at LSU in Baton Rouge in a substandard charter plane. The album had a very controversial cover when released. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Daisy Jones & the Six becomes the first fictional band to hit No. Members of the band that survived the crash said that Cassie actually . Losing daylight, the pilots desperately looked for an open field or some kind of saving grace. You all just better get some rest. Dan Barnes recalls saying This man had just been to the funeral home and seen his son dead and decided to keep that to himself for these guys to heal. Her mother passed away on 15th February 1979 in a car accident. As medical personnel triaged the scene, he helped carry the litters of the injured and the dead across the creek to a waiting 4-wheel-drive pickup truck. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. Artimus has had many ups and downs since then, several incarcerations, and a huge falling out with Gary. "Sweet Home Alabama" became the southern anthem for millions. When he was sober, he was a fair and kind person. In 1982 he would form the Allen Collins band but shortly after would wreck his new Ford Thunderbird, killing his then girlfriend and paralyzing Collins. Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. Two bulldozers were dispatched to plow a primitive path off nearby Highway 568 in order to give a ground path available to the first responders. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. Powells nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. The choppers belonged to the Coast Guard, National Guard and Forrest County General Hospital, who were doing their best to ferry people in, and illuminate the crash site. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. Violent, wild, and belligerent, Ronnie was a force to be reckoned with. Wilkeson would eventually be found dead in a hotel room in 2001 at age 49. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. Artimus Pyle and Gary Rossington are the only two members alive today from the crash. I dont know who you think we are but we were on a plane and the plane crashed out there on the other side of that cow pasture. Mote instantly connected the dots to the sound he heard earlier and the men that lay before him. This year there were no red roses, but a freshly carved "R.J." stood out with red paint enhancement. At the time of her death she survived by her large extended friends and family. Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. He had been impaled by a part of the fuselage and it pushed through his body and projected out of his back. On one occasion after a show, he approached Billy Powell who was the bands keyboard player, and punched him so hard in the mouth he knocked his two front teeth out. My college roommate was a young photojournalist. There are just too few physical landmarks. His post noted that he and many others had made pilgrimages for years to the site to pay their respects. Leslie Hawkins sustained a concussion, broke her neck in three places and had severe facial lacerations. These things don't happen here. It was Dr. Hank Lewis, a month shy of 78-years-old. He remembered seeing bodies everywhere. "Live on my brother. . The rest of the group had no idea at the time that they would never see the face of Ronnie again. As we walked, Easely pointed to a towering pine. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. to gather a few more. Photo: Pinterest. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. Owners emphasize that trespassers can be prosecuted. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. On October 20, 1977, a Convair CV-240 carrying the band between shows from Greenville, South Carolina to Baton Rouge, Louisiana crashed outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Totaled, decimated, and left for dead. The band buckled in. Through the woods, yet another seeker appeared. Sadly, the band would not make it to Baton Rouge and the plane had been pushed one flight too many. Governor said, "I'm bad about leaving an empty beer bottle and a full one for Ronnie and the boys" each year. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. They were scheduled to perform at the Louisiana State University. I used my camera in my work. As they, too, were succumbing to the sub-par standards of the plane and crew. Aerosmiths band management at the time was looking at a Convair CV-240. Birth Name: Cassie LaRue Gaines Occupation: Rock Singer Place Of Birth: Missouri Date Of Birth: January 9, 1948 Date Of Death: October 20, 1977 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: White Nationality: American Cassie Gaines was born on the 9th of January, 1948. The band decided that once they had landed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, they would acquire a Learjet to replace the severely outdated 30-year-old plane. Don't look like they can afford a ticket. That farm belonged to a young dairy farmer named Johnny Mote. A costly mistake at 9,000ft or so. The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. Cassie Gaines Birthday and Date of Death. "They seemed to be chasing him, trying to flag him down. It sounded great to us. Dwain Easley still lives on the east side of the crash site. These combinations of poorly built aircraft and less than acceptable crew quickly led to the dismissal of the band leasing out their services. Everyone just stood there helpless. "Why, yes I do," I said, thinking about my roots, my old buddies and the high school dances. Making the original release cover more valuable to collectors than the second cover released just a few weeks after the album hit the shelves. Photo: obviousmag.org. Almost four decades later, I noticed a seemingly innocuous post on Facebook. The famous music band Lynyrd Skynyrd is considered to have one of the most gruesome band histories after losing several people in an aerial accident. Lynyrd Skynyrd did not plan on keeping the plane for long. Marc Frank was beaten terribly and was also covered in lacerations and blood. I had never seen anything like it before. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another. They were directing him to the property next to his family's farm. I was a young graphic artist at the time. Where Did We Find This Stuff? Last of the two surviving original member of the band, Gary Rossington, with Johnny Van Zant to his left and guitarist Rickey Medlocke to the right. I couldn't stand it. I was just taken aback by it " but then his friend continued, "don't worry, Lynyrd made it out.". I grabbed my camera and jumped in the car. "I've been coming for years," he said, "and I've never met anyone who was here that night. You all just better get some rest. Dan Barnes recalls saying This man had just been to the funeral home and seen his son dead and decided to keep that to himself for these guys to heal. "Are you writing a book?" "Folks were all mashed together. "It was the saddest thing," she recalls, 11 years later. Guitarists Allen Collins and Steve Gaines, Honkette Leslie Hawkins, bassist Leon Wilkeson, Honkettes Cassie Gaines and JoJo Billingsley, and. She began her career at a young age but has grown steadily over the years to become one of the best in Hollywood. He is best known as a guitarist and backing vocalist with rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976 until his death in the October 1977 airplane crash that claimed other band members and crew. Collins recovered and began performing again, eventually forming the Allen Collins Band. He pulled the lifeless body of Cassie Gaines up by her belt. She is famous for starring in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Goode Behavior, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. We were all fans. Updated cover after plane crash, 1977The official NTSB accident report reads, "The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines due to crew inattention to fuel supply. The talented singer met her death at the young age of 29. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray were fully aware of a fuel shortage before the flight took off. In the ensuing chaos, souvenir hunters took billfolds, jewelry, suitcases, band merchandise and even chunks of metal from the crash site. Deceased people hanging from trees, the other survivors moaning for help of any kind, and completely surrounded by a black swamp whose canopy is blocking the only light that is trying so desperately to shine through. So, we're both southerners.". Wilkeson would eventually be found dead in a hotel room in 2001 at age 49. In the ensuing chaos, souvenir hunters took billfolds, jewelry, suitcases, band merchandise and even chunks of metal from the crash site. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? Where Did We Find This Stuff? For members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, the weight of what happened seemed to push down on them the most. Suffocating the people on the bottom from the sheer weight. The band has asked that fans wishing to remember Wilkeson do so through the Musician's Assistance Program, which assists musicians and industry professionals seeking treatment for addiction. The guys hit the dirt and yelling out with what they had left Hey! After a shorter-than-normal day of bow hunting, he received a phone call about a plane crash in the area. All he could think was that they must be from a recent a jailbreak," she said. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Soon after the plane would begin to jerk and shake violently. Collins and other band members were severely injured. "May the free bird fly on," read one message. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. The years after the crash would be difficult in its own right for surviving members, most of which would experience tragedy and early death themselves. A design that would most likely lead to the infamous crash. Collins, 37, suffered respiratory failure, said a Memorial Medical Center spokeswoman. The pilot and co-pilot also died; 20 others aboard lived. . The accident essentially destroyed one of the unique voices of American rock and roll. It would also be the first album that guitarist Steve Gaines would be the sole guitar player on. The pilots tried an emergency landing, but the plane crashed in the woods near Gillsburg in Mississippi. Billy Powell, the bands keyboardist, received extensive facial lacerations and a broken right knee. There is some speculation as to why the second engine had ultimately failed. Mote fired a warning shot in the air. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. When the group asked Ronnies father how he was, he simply replied Hes fine. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. With the tree tops approaching fast and just eight miles short of the air strip, the plane was headed for a Mississippi swamp and nothing could be done to save them now. On another occasion, while reportedly on a drunken rage, he even slashed the hands of Gary Rossington, his best friend and guitarist, with a broken beer bottle. I admired his ability to tell gripping stories with his camera, so I began considering a career change. Pyle, Frank, and Peden were met with hostility when they finally came up to Mote. "Steve was at the peak of his career. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines due to crew inattention to the fuel supply. He suffered a heart attack . The band would be marked for strife as just before their inaugural tour, Allens wife would bleed to death due to a miscarriage. The band has sold an estimated 35 million records. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. Most of the 20 survivors were taken to Southwest Regional Medical Center in McComb, where the lobby had been transformed into a makeshift emergency treatment center to quickly deal with the onslaught of plane crash victims. Cassie joined the team and became one of the three members of The Honkette's, a female gospel vocal trio of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album, and was the #5 top selling album on the U.S. album chart. A small plane with 40 seats and two props the plane was anything but extraordinary. In 1975, his sister, Cassie, whose group had been hired to sing back. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and singer Cassie Gaines were all killed in the crash, and the . The tree where the cockpit came to rest has long-since died. Over the ridge, a World War II vintage Willis Jeep crawled down a dusty logging trail. In this video you will see the true story behind the tragic passing of Ronnie Van Zant, Cassie Gaines, Dean Kilpatrick, and Steve Gaines on October 20, 1977. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. He had been impaled by a part of the fuselage and it pushed through his body and projected out of his back. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another.