Band confidant, Gene Odum, is privately interviewed to share his story on what happened on this awful day in history. Original cover for Street Survivors, 1977Notably, the third member of The Honkettes, JoJo Billingsley, was not on the plane and in fact was home tending to a family member's illness. The band regularly has different people sit in and play shows with them like Warren Haynes and Dicky Betts. "They seemed to be chasing him, trying to flag him down. 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 reason behind this? The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. I didn't know where this was going. The cover would quickly be changed to a more bland blacked-out background with the band in the same pose after the accident. 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. Despite this faux pas, Powell has been on good terms with the remaining band members since the incident. He had hunted squirrels along that very ridge. Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. The next morning I looked over them, made a few small prints and forgot about them. 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. Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve's older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray died. I'd deal with that later. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? The albums that followed featured a plain black background. "I've been coming for years," he said, "and I've never met anyone who was here that night. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. We had a friendly translator whose command of the English language was poor at best. For many years, a dozen red roses have been carefully placed around the base, much like the mysterious unfinished bottle of Martell cognac at the grave of Edgar Allen Poe in Baltimore. The 22-year-old had been outside bailing hay in the twilight when he heard the crash in the distance, which he assumed was a car skidding in gravel. But after seeing helicopter searchlights, he started to assume it was a jailbreak instead. Thats when most of the sober members of the band saw that the right propeller was no longer working. Ronnie Van Zant, drunk and laying in the middle of the aisle, simply pulled himself together, sat up, and quietly chose a seat up front. "New Orleans is a southern city. Identification was completely hindered as there had been a poker game going on during the flight, and everyones wallets and purses had been strewn throughout the swamp. Small and cramped, it still felt better than lift-off of the Convair CV-240. We always wondered why, you know. The surviving members would grapple with this throughout their days. Collins, 37, suffered respiratory failure, said a Memorial Medical Center spokeswoman. McDaniel was eager to join me. Unfortunately, their plane ran short of fuel. Owners emphasize that trespassers can be prosecuted. Lynyrd Skynyrd did not plan on keeping the plane for long. According to a Billboard report, he died of natural causes in his sleep. Marc Frank was beaten terribly and was also covered in lacerations and blood. Don't look like they can afford a ticket. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. Cassie was 29 years old at the time of death. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. After claiming his deceased son, Lacy Van Zant went to visit the other members of the band at the hospital. Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. How did Cassie Gaines get in Lynyrd Skynyrd? Throughout the ordeal, he remembers seeing the debris and suitcases scattered around, but he didn't think anything of it. I used my camera in my work. Everyone just stood there helpless. I obviously didn't know what I was doing. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another. The album cover depicted the band members in an alleyway covered in flames. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. These things don't happen here. She was requested to join the band as a backing vocalist. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. But we were both enjoying it. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. I'm still not sure why. Especially with the song That Smell. He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. Photo: Pinterest. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. On hearing of the accident, Billingsley was so shaken that some of her hair fell out. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a staple on rock, classic rock, and southern radio stations. His luck, however, was on the short end of the stick as he would have his throat slit while on the Lynyrd Skynyrd tour bus in the early 90s. 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. He had known Easley Creek since his youth. He had already finished a film about the plane crash when Gary and several others stepped in and placed a lawsuit against the film to not be shown to the public. There is some speculation as to why the second engine had ultimately failed. Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. On the original pressing of the cover of Street Survivors was a photograph of the band engulfed in flames. ", "I expected to see all dead people looking at these woods. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. Circa 1975, Singers Cassie Gaines , Leslie Hawkins and Jo Jo Billingsley of the American rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1970s. ", He reached up and pealed the split fuselage back and, with a flashlight, peered into the dark, jumbled mess of bodies. All of the seats were ripped from the frame of the plane, landing in the front section of the crash. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. 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. 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. But sadly when he drank, which was quite often, his demeanor and character qualities changed drastically. In 1986, his car ran off a road and crashed into a culvert, paralyzing him from the waist down and killing his girlfriend. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. Before joining the music band, she was an original cast member of a school play under Hairspray. The flight was going good so far and other than Ronnie getting severely intoxicated while on the flight, all seemed to be setting up to be another routine flight. "Sweet Home Alabama" became the southern anthem for millions. 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. What injuries did Cassie Gaines die from? He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. He could see the circling helicopter from his back yard. 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. Cassie joined the team and became one of the three members of The Honkette's, a female gospel vocal trio of Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. Leslie Hawkins sustained a concussion, broke her neck in three places and had severe facial lacerations. TBS - Movies for Guys Who Like Movies Bumper - The Jerk - 1996, TBS - Dinner & A Movie - Urban Cowboy Promo - 1995, TBS - Movies for Guys Who Like Movies - Running Scared Promo - 1995. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. One of them being completely decapitated. In addition to his fractured ribcage, Artimus Pyle was treated for numerous abrasions and contusions. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. 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. After I led him to the downtown McComb offices, I returned home, developed my film in a clumsy bathroom darkroom and went to sleep. Birthday: January 9, 1948. A costly mistake at 9,000ft or so. Cassie Gaines died on the 20 th of October, 1977 in a plane crash at Gillsburg, Mississippi when she was only 29 years old. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. Where Did We Find This Stuff? Collect, curate and comment on your files. In 1977, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Stevie Gaines and Gaines' sister, Cassie Gaines, were killed in a plane crash. The original cover was restored after the 30th anniversary of the album. The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. "I'd never seen anything like that," he said. Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. It is a cautionary song about drug abuse that fans believed was aimed at one of the members. With that cue, Governor took the honors and introduced everyone as Gabel's mouth gaped in disbelief. The reason is that just a few short days before some of the band members had reported seeing sparks a large as 10ft shooting out of the right engine. The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. But I couldn't stand it any longer. Lynyrd Skynyrd pose for a portrait circa 1976. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. There is some speculation as to why the second engine had ultimately failed. 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. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. My younger brother and I banged out "Freebird" on a cheap set of drums in our bedroom. Collins and other band members were severely injured. Mote fired a warning shot in the air. Pyle, Frank, and Peden were met with hostility when they finally came up to Mote. ", "There were plenty of old boys standing around here. One such silent witness has found a way to talk. 5 album. She said her husband grabbed his .243 hunting rifle, ran out and fired a warning shot. We beat patterns into our dashboards drumming out the beat. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 10/20/77 and a notebook-sized rebel flag are deeply etched into the old bark. So on the prow of this small boat, plowing the coastal water on the other side of the world, he and I abandoned inhibition with an unabashed air guitar jam. Ronnie Van Zant, drunk and laying in the middle of the aisle, simply pulled himself together, sat up, and quietly chose a seat up front. Cassie Gaines Wikipedia; Sponsored Links. "Live on my brother. All he could think was that they must be from a recent a jailbreak," she said. 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. "If (that tree) could talk, it'd tell you all about it," he said. Gary continues on the band with Ronnies brother, Johnny Van Zant, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke. Home; Memorials; Cemeteries; Famous; Contribute; Register; Sign In; Register; Sign In; . Leon Wilkeson, their bass player, had arguably the most harrowing recovery; as he faced many internal injuries, dislodged teeth, and a broken left arm and leg, and his heart stopped twice on the operating table while doctors frantically struggled to keep him alive. Cassie Gaines mother was LaRue, while her father was Bud. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. Several members of the band died in a plane crash that occurred on October 20, 1977, three days after the release of Street Survivors. It felt like being hit with baseball bats in a steel garbage can with the lid on. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. Allen Collins, who lost fellow members of the rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd in a 1977 plane crash and was paralyzed four years ago in a drunken driving accident, died Tuesday of pneumonia. "Yes, your right," I said, slightly amused. 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. In Genes interview, he mentions that he ran to the cock pit and to alert the pilots of the exploded engine and their response was Nothins wrong. Another 20 were injured, which included keyboardist Billy Powell, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, drummer Artimus Pyle and bassist Leon Wilkeson. Other band members were injured, some very seriously. The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. Collins began his rise to success as the lightning-fingered guitarist for the Jacksonville band formed in 1966 by a group of high school students. He lifted one after another and shuffled them to others outside. He, like me, was 21-years-old at the time. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. 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 rushed to his truck and headed in. she asked me as we talked. An old high school friend, Bobby McDaniel, posted a photo and a comment about a name-carved tree from the crash site. It would take hours to remove the bodies of the dead and injured from the plane. However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. Soon after the plane would begin to jerk and shake violently. He drove down from his home in Oakland, Miss. Obviously it is hard to dictate the correct story when various opinions and recollections are thrown out, however, it seems to us as though the pilots were aware of the faulty issues of the plane, did not check to make sure that the plane had enough gas, and did not seem to make an attempt to alert the passengers of their timely death. The location sounded familiar so he asked them to repeat. I knew my camera had stories to tell. For members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, the weight of what happened seemed to push down on them the most. 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. Marc Frank remembers seeing complete and total despair. A little after the two-hour mark, however, events started to unfold that would soon make history. From the commercial hits of Free Bird and Simple Man to less mainstream songs like The Needle And The Spoon and T Is For Texas, Lynyrd Skynyrd and their driving southern sound quickly cut their way to the top of the charts and into the hearts of many across the states and around the world. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. Things were going so well. "But using a phone out here is worthless," he said, and even with his expertise, he had trouble finding the exact spot of the crash site. Totaled, decimated, and left for dead. The official cause of death will be announced after toxicology test results come back in two to three weeks. A design that would most likely lead to the infamous crash. By then, a Coast Guard helicopter was hovering overhead. The medical examiner reported that Wilkeson suffered from liver and lung disease at the time of his death. Natural causes were to blame. Easley knows he wasn't the first on the site, but he was there early. Dwain Easley still lives on the east side of the crash site. The 22-year-old had been outside bailing hay in the twilight when he heard the crash in the distance, which he assumed was a car skidding in gravel. But after seeing helicopter searchlights, he started to assume it was a jailbreak instead. The pilot and co-pilot also died; 20 others aboard lived. But as my wife and I watched the news bulletins flash on TV, it was a big deal. She performed as a backup singer in popular hits such as One More Time and That Smell. Pilot Walter McCrearey and co-pilot John Grey were killed on impact. Van Zant himself "loathed flying," as Rolling Stone. ", "He came home covered in blood," said his wife, Lola. Pilot Walter. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. I worked the scene for about 30 minutes before a veteran photographer approached me and asked if I knew where the local paper "The Enterprise Journal" was located. The plane had completely disintegrated. We were shocked, as were most others hearing the news. . I marked my calendar and made arrangements. His luck, however, was on the short end of the stick as he would have his throat slit while on the Lynyrd Skynyrd tour bus in the early 90s. As he looked around the scene, his mind went back. At this point, for Artimus Pyle, Marc Frank, and Ken Peden, the only sensible thing left to do was to leave certain death at the crash site, for uncertainty in the swamp. Rescue vehicles on the ground found no direct path in sight. He was more in the image I was pre-visualizing - one of an aging rocker. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. Powell also claimed that Ronnie Van Zant's head had been smashed. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? He then assembled a convoy of trucks and four-wheelers to locate the crash site and rescue the survivors. His wife, Lola, and my wife grew up together. One of them being completely decapitated. Tuesday October 20, 2015 marked the 38th anniversary and drew several veterans from the night of the crash. A little after an hour of trudging through a creek and at one point burrowing underneath a barbed wire fence they found themselves staring at a small, dim light in the distance. Part of the preparations required contacting landowners and securing permission to be there and a guide to lead me in. Photo: thetv.info. It is possible that the damaged magneto fooled the pilots into creating an exceptionally rich fuel mixture, causing the Convair to run out of fuel. A little after an hour of trudging through a creek and at one point burrowing underneath a barbed wire fence they found themselves staring at a small, dim light in the distance. One of the three men was the band's drummer Artimus Pyle, who yelled, "Plane crash." ", "And everybody says they were the first one there. Photo: Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader. Aerosmiths band management at the time was looking at a Convair CV-240. It was there where he was found dead in his room on July 27. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another. Sadly, the band would not make it to Baton Rouge and the plane had been pushed one flight too many. The album had deeper meaning than most. read another typical message of mourning. It would also be the first album that guitarist Steve Gaines would be the sole guitar player on. On 20th October 1977, the Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after their performance in Greenville, South Carolina. The crash killed singer/songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. Her brother was Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines. He smiled broadly and said, "Turn it up! Band confidant, Gene Odum, is privately interviewed to share his story on what happened on this awful day in history. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and singer Cassie Gaines were all killed in the crash, and the . Was there a guest book?". Identification was completely hindered as there had been a poker game going on during the flight, and everyones wallets and purses had been strewn throughout the swamp. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. 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. Wilkeson suffered severe internal injuries, including a punctured lung, and had most of his teeth knocked out. Pyle used the couple's phone to call his wife. All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. They were directing him to the property next to his family's farm. It was there that he struck up a fractured conversation. Lewis was on emergency room call that night at McComb's Southwest Regional Medical Center. Gary Rossington broke both his arms and both his legs in the crash, and took many months to recuperate. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. The sky is the limit for the talented actress. 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. The crash killed singer/songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. From left to right: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, And Gary Rossington. Martin said she then, "called 911, or 0, or whatever we called back then.". Pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray were fully aware of a fuel shortage before the flight took off. On 20th October 1977, the Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after their performance in Greenville, South Carolina. I had not realized before, but he also was there that night. Sadly, it would end all to soon. Where Did We Find This Stuff? Mike Rounsaville also arrived in the jeep with Dr. Lewis. We just had released an album that went gold almost overnight. Security manager Gene Odom was seriously burned on his arm and face and lost the sight in one eye as a result of an emergency flare on board the plane that was activated during the crash. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Pyle, Frank, and Peden were met with hostility when they finally came up to Mote. Cassie Gaines was born on January 9, 1948 and died on October 20, 1977. Willing to lend a hand and stick by his bandmates, he was hard to beat when standing by your side. The site is hard to access. As we talked, we heard a racket through the trees. But soon, the helicopters that were heard and seen previously were on the scene. 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. Street Survivors was released just three days before the crash and would quickly become a hit. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the airplane tragedy. It wasn't a Cessna; it was a Convair CV 240, a twin engine, 40-passenger plane that was down in heavy woods near Gillsburg. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. As soon as it seemed that the worst of the flight was passing, the true nightmare was about to set in for Lynyrd Skynyrd and the crew aboard. The crash killed Ronnie Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, as well as pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. As we walked, Easely pointed to a towering pine. We'd move one and there would be another one laying there." Some blame it on the planes age and poor design, weighing in on its smaller fuselage and compact wingspan. We were all fans. Some blame it on the planes age and poor design, weighing in on its smaller fuselage and compact wingspan.