It wasn't the first, or the last, time that a set of multi-talented musicians died aboard a plane. You may opt-out by. Allen Collins, 33, a guitarist in the Skynyrd band, was listed in serious condition Thursday at University Hospital. So, there was some anger, but for the most part everybody was calm, cool, and collected. ", The same reporter who talked of the magnitude of the crash pondered,"Authorities still believe the plane ran out of gas. The aircraft in question was instead chartered by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, who were just setting out that autumn on a national tour that promised to be their biggest to date. On October 20, 1977, the passenger plane carrying Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed while on tour, killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie . His teeth had also been knocked out. Collins' battles with depression, various substance addictions and law enforcement he was reportedly arrested 18 times between 1974 and 1985 came to a head Jan. 29, 1986, when he crashed his brand new Ford Thunderbird. Three years later, an intoxicated Collins crashed his car in Jacksonville, killing his girlfriend Debra Lizama Watts and rendering him paralyzed from the waist down and with limited use of his upper body. Four members of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band were killed in a plane crash On October 20, 1977, a plane carrying the band from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ran out of fuel near Gillsburg, Mississippi. The remaining band members continued to make music through the 80s under various configurations, most notably the Rossington-Collins Band, who took special pains to distance the new outfit from a reborn Skynyrd tag by recruiting a female lead singer, Dale Krantz. Lynyrd Skynyrd, a Southern rock institution that . "We are not declaring an emergency, but we do need to get close to McComb as straight and good as we can get, sir," McCreary stated. Yet more despair was in store, however. Selected discography. At some point the passengers became aware that something was wrong, and drummer Artimus Pyle recalls entering the flight deck and being told by the terrified captain, Walter McCreary, to go back and strap himself in. Guitarist Allen Collins, bass. Everyone listened anxiously as officials worked to identify and release the names of those killed. CARTERSVILLE, Ga. - The former drummer and a founding member of the Southern hard rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Robert Burns Jr., died late Friday in a single-vehicle . Pyle believes he was probably struck by the heavy Sony Trinitron or beta machine they had on board that was loose and flying through the plane along with everything else upon impact. Two days later their fifth album, Street Survivors, debuted. He was 37. The cockpit smashed into a tree, killing McCreary and Gray,and the fuselage became separated. Inside, the cabin seats were torn apart as the plane continued on its path. The new project did not include drummer Artimus Pyle, who in another stroke of Skynyrd misfortune had badly shattered his leg in a motorcycle accident. Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins was paralyzed in a car accident on Jan. 29, 1986. . On October 17, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their fifth studio album, Street Survivors, which would eventually be certified double-platinum. [1] The report records the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as taking legal action against L & J Company in relation to the operator responsibility,[1] and the analysis section concludes by asking, "How does the system in such a case protect a lessee who is uninformed either by design, by inadvertence, or by his own carelessness? Other major artists will also be involved, but names have not yet been released since the record is still in production. "[1], Billy Powell, among others, spoke of seeing flames shooting out of the plane's right engine during a flight just days before the crash. For music history buffs, the name Lynyrd Skynyrd instantly conjures up the day in 1977 when three band members, including founder Ronnie Van Zant, died in a plane crash in the woods of Mississippi. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images). [7] The survivors, all of whom were seriously injured, were transported to different hospitals for treatment and were not immediately aware of the fatalities. Record label MCA scrambled to replace Skynyrds Street Survivors album cover, which eerily forecast the accident by depicting the band members engulfed in flames. Lynyrd Skynyrd was headed for Baton Rouge, Louisiana for their next concert. Artimus Pyle quit Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1991 several years after the band started up again. [10] Pyle suffered broken ribs but managed to leave the crash site and notify a nearby resident. This is a BETA experience. Lynyrd Skynyrd chartered the plane. (AP Photo), The wreckage of a twin engine Convair CV-240 plane lies in a wooded area near McComb, Miss., on Oct. [+] 20, 1977. On Oct. 20, 1977, a chartered Convair CV-240 plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd in the midst of a headlining tour and having released their fifth album, Street Survivors, three days prior crashed in a Gillsburg, Miss., swamp after running out of fuel. One of the Aerosmith's crew later recalled that pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray shared a bottle of Jack Daniels as the plane was inspected for that band. A horrific plane crash took the lives of members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, their road crew and both the pilot and co-pilot on Oct. 20, 1977, irrevocably altering the course of the Southern rock. "If it's your time to go, it's your time to go," he quipped just before boarding. Lynyrd Skynyrd Members Head to Trial Over Plane Crash Movie. On October 20, 1977, however, during a flight from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lynyrd Skynyrds tour plane crashed in a heavily wooded area of southwesternMississippi during a failed emergency landing attempt, killing band-members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines as well as the bands assistant road manager and the planes pilot and co-pilot. Thats something I think about as a songwriter. [18] Locals worked with rescue officials and drove victims to the hospital in the back of pick-up trucks. Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument marks the spot where the plane went down near Gillsup, Mississippi on [+] October 20, 1977. Wilkeson stayed close to his Skynyrd brethren in both the Rossington Collins Band and Allen Collins Band, then joined them for the tribute tour in 1987 and onward. (Pyle managed to escape with just broken ribs; Collins suffered two broken vertebrae in his neck and damage to his right arm that nearly resulted in amputation; Rossington broke his arms, legs, wrists, ankles, and pelvis; keyboardist Billy Powell suffered severe lacerations on his face and right leg; and bassist Leon Wilkeson broke his left arm so badly and permanently, he had to relearn how to hold his instrument.) The plane crash was to be focused upon in particular. He was right about both. Ronnie had a great smile., Pyle chokes up and pauses, then through tears, continues. Although at least one band member, Cassie Gaines, expressed doubts about flying on the Convair, Van Zant talked everyone into using it. [1] Pyle told Howard Stern years later in an interview that the fuel gauge in the older-model plane was known to malfunction and the pilots had neglected to check the tanks manually before taking off. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. In the summer of 1977, members of the rock band Aerosmith inspected an airplane they were considering chartering for their upcoming toura Convair 240 operated out of Addison, Texas. Pyle is still alive but has not been part of the bands roster since 1991. But for those who knew the band's story and their growing rise to fame, that day was one of the most tragic in rock history. The Rossington-Collins Band lineup eventually was doomed as well. Gary Rossington and the heirs of Steve Gaines and Ronnie Van Zant objected to the idea, claiming "the survivors took a 'blood oath' to never use the name Lynyrd Skynyrd again." Two years later, the incapacitated guitarist contracted pneumonia. NASHVILLE, TN - JANUARY 30: Artimus Pyle performs during The Gift Of Music Concert at Ryman [+] Auditorium on January 30, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. According to writer Jaan Uhelski, Lynyrd Skynyrd's beginnings date clear back to 1964 at a ball field in Florida, where Van Zant inadvertently smacked a ball right at Bob Burns and knocked him out. He and guitarist, Gary Rossington, both crash survivors, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members of Lynyrd Skynyrd (the band was inducted in 2006), will be playing on the record. The film included plenty of footage of the original band, as well as haunting recollections of the plane crash. It was also the international debut of Fosburys unique jumping read more, On October 20, 2011,Muammar al-Qaddafi, the longest-serving leader in Africa and the Arab world, is captured and killed by rebel forces near his hometown of Sirte. After the accident, Pyle only took part in the band's commemorative tour with the other surviving members. A film about the 1977 plane crash that killed the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ronnie Van Zant, and five others may finally see the light of day after a federal appeals court . That image was selected for the cover, with flames superimposed all around the group against a city backdrop. It was a bit eerie, to say the least. Learn how to create your own. He would end up getting shot along the way. Its hard to believe that four decades have passed since one of rocks best-known tragedies occurred. The aircraft was old; earlier that year, members of Aerosmith's flight crew had declined to use it because they felt it wasn't up to snuff. For the Record . Ronnie went to the back of the plane, and I remember thinking to myself, thats a good idea. Kennedy was in Seattle and scheduled to attend the Seattle Century 21 Worlds read more, On October 20, 1803, the U.S. Senate approves a treaty with France providing for the purchase of the territory of Louisiana, which would double the size of the United States. The plane eventually leveled out at 12,000 feet and after several minutes, the fire extinguished. I wanted Lynyrd Skynyrd fans to know what we went through that fateful day and night. He was visibly suffering from Kathy's death; he excessively drank and consumed drugs. Fans gathered Sunday as the Mississippi Department of Transportation unveiled exit signs from Interstate 55 near . Powell also died young, at age 56, of an apparent heart attack in 2009. The original core of Lynyrd SkynyrdRonnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and Larry Junstromfirst came together under the name My Backyard back in 1964, as Jacksonville, Florida, teenagers. Contributing to the fuel exhaustion were inadequate flight planning and an engine malfunction of undetermined nature in the right engine that resulted in "torching" and higher-than-normal fuel consumption. But there would still be more tragedies: Collins, who was left paraplegic after a motorcycle accident in 1986 (but kept traveling with the band as musical director), succumbed to pneumonia in 1990. The result has been a long string of replacements, leaving Rossington as the sole representative of the classic Skynyrd lineup. [Editor's note: This is the third of a four part series on the plane crash of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band.] But it would be 10 harrowing minutes before the plane touched down. In 2016, Deadline reported that Cleopatra Films was planning a feature film about Lynyrd Skynyrd. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Twenty-six. On October 20, 1968, 21-year-old Oregonian Dick Fosbury wins goldand sets an Olympic recordwhen he high-jumps 7 feet 4 1/4 inches at the Mexico City Games. Newly unsealed court documents reveal a dispute emanating from a "blood oath" taken upon the plane crash that befell the 1970s band . Its become a place for fans of the band, fans of Southern Rock, and singers, songwriters, and musicians who want to honor the legacy of Ronnie Van Zant and the band he created, to gather and pay tribute. Will there be a Lynyrd Skynyrd after this. On January 29, 1986, Collins, then 33, crashed his Ford Thunderbird into a ditch near his home in Jacksonville, killing his girlfriend Debra Jean Watts and leaving himself permanently paralyzed from the chest down. In a look back at the incident in 2017,Rolling Stone magazine reportedthe other 14 survivors "endured shattered bones, torn flesh, lengthy hospitalizations and grueling rehabilitations.". He says its interesting to note that Ronnie Van Zant knew he only had a short time on this earth, but was determined to make it count. More recently, his involvement in a proposed biopic called Street Survivor: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash led to new legal issues. The total dead is five. Then he spotted Pyle trying to crawl out of the wreckage, his ribs "sticking out" of his chest, as Powell told Rolling Stone (via Check Six). Nashville-based music, entertainment, and feature writer. A couple of years later, however, Pyle had to bow out of the Rossington Collins Band after a motorcycle accident left his leg broken in 20 places. There was some discussion as to whether it might have been a ricochet shot. The band itself, with three of its members gone, wouldnt perform for the next 10 years, until Ronnies brother, Johnny, took on the role of lead singer. By that evening and the next morning, however, music lovers and fans nationwide were shocked and saddened as radio disc jockeys and newspapersannounced the horrible news. Houston asked McCreary to confirm that. Some of them went home and got tractors. Oct. 10, 2018. He and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Twenty others survived the crash. One of the biggest rock bands of all time, Lynyrd Skynyrd made history in the 70s with amazing albums that gave us great tunes like "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird" that became rock anthems. 2014 Stagecoach California's Country Music Festival - Day 1, ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd Announce Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour, Gary Rossington Calls Current Lynyrd Skynyrd a Tribute Band. The album cover featured the entire band(except for their background singers) standing together. During the decades since, some initial survivors have passed away, while others did their best to endure. The epic flight from Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalist forces lasted 368 days and covered 6,000 miles. You know and love country music icon Reba McEntire for always keeping it real. Pyle describes the aircraft quickly coming down out of the clouds, suddenly a hundred feet over treetops, in a swampy, heavily wooded area of Mississippi. The son of an American Civil War hero, MacArthur served as chief read more, After 15 years of construction, the Sydney Opera House is dedicated by Queen Elizabeth IIon October 20, 1973. The men made their way through the thick brush to the farm of Johnny Mote, who said the plane crash "sounded like a car skidding in the gravel" and heard a "deep rumble." Cox had conducted a detailed investigation of the Watergate break-in that revealed that read more, On October 20, 1962, the White House press corps is told that President John F. Kennedy has a cold; in reality, he is holding secret meetings with advisors on the eve of ordering a blockade of Cuba. But"instead of panicking," said Powell, "everybody was sitting there praying." He yelled stop, I saw the gun. Gary Rossington, meanwhile, remained the only original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2019. [37] [38] Return (1987-1995) [ edit] GILLSBURG, Miss. (AP Photo), 20, 1977. Today, black granite walls mark the spot where the plane went down. Recommended. Yet the keyboardist became the de facto spokesman for the band in the weeks that followed, giving updates on those still in the hospital to both print and broadcast media with stitches tracked across his deeply bruised face. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) _ A former member of the Lynyrd Skynyrd rock group was hospitalized Thursday and faced reckless driving charges after a one-car accident that killed a passenger. It will feature some very big names adding their voice, and personal touches, to some of bands greatest songs. I'm relaying messages on CB to her, ten miles away. People were hollerin' and screamin', and I've never witnessed anything before in my life like that." Upon realizing that the plane had insufficient fuel, the pilots attempted to navigate to McComb Airport, about 10mi (16km) northeast of the eventual crash site in Amite County, Mississippi, but soon realized that the plane would not make it. [9], Cassie Gaines had been so fearful of flying in the Convair that she had preferred to travel in the band's cramped equipment truck instead, but Van Zant convinced her to board the plane on October 20. The band had planned on acquiring a Learjet after arriving in Baton Rouge, to replace the 30-year-old plane, which all in the band's circle agreed was well past its prime. People really identify with Simple Man, Freebird, Sweet Home Alabama, Tuesdays Gone, Gimme Three Steps. Its a phenomena for these songs to be this powerful 45 years after that plane crash.. Decades later, he gave an account of the flight's final moments on a VH1 Behind The Music special, stating that Van Zant, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown violently from his seat and died immediately when his head hit a tree as the plane broke apart. Gary Rossington was the most critically injured survivor of the 1977 plane crash, having broken both arms and wrists, both legs and ankles, and his pelvis. The sounds he heard were the plane hitting the trees, some as high as 80 feet tall. In the mid-1960s the nucleus of what would become one of the most popular southern boogie bands of the 1970s, Lynyrd Skynyrd, were students at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida.Impressed by the sounds of the Yardbirds and Blues Magoos, buddies . Its the power of Ronnies prolific writing, notes Pyle. "[1], The band's record label MCA replaced the album cover of the Street Survivors album, as it showed the band surrounded by flames. The musician sat on top of the airplane in shock for a few minutes, crying,before he heard people callingfor help. "It felt like being rolled down a hill in a garbage can and being hit by about a hundred baseball bats at the same time." The wings were torn off along the crash path. Of the 26 people on board, miraculously, 20 survived, although many suffered severe injuries. Aerosmith almost bought the plane from the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash Earlier in 1977, there was another rock and roll band in the market for an airplane. The tribute album should be available sometime early next year. Sources. [14], It was later discovered that the very same aircraft had earlier been inspected by members of Aerosmith's flight crew for possible use in their Draw the Line tour, but it was rejected because it was felt that neither the plane nor the crew were up to standard. As might be expected, Street Survivors became one of their greatest hits in the wake of the spotlight on the events. Director Jared Cohn Writer Jared Cohn Stars Artimus Pyle Taylor Clift Ian Shultis See production, box office & company info Watch on Tubi Go to tubitv.com Allen Collins suffered a cervical spine injury; he also almost lost his right arm after suffering a severe gash, according to Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering the Free Birds of Southern Rock. A short time after that Neil paid tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd on stage by playing a medley of his own song, and . (AP Photo). Under that name and several others, the group developed its chops playing local and regional gigs throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, then finally broke out nationally in 1973 following the adoption of the name Lynyrd Skynyrd in honor of a high school gym teacher/nemesis named Leonard Skinner. Although I like Lynyrd Skynyrd very much, this film is clearly made to show the importance of Artimus Pyle in the band - including pointing out that he was the one who got help to save the survivors of the plane crash. >>. Both versions of Street Survivors sold quickly, to the tune of 500,000 records within a short time. At the end of 18th century, the Spanish technically owned Louisiana, the huge region west of the read more, On October 20, 1853, Arthur Rimbaud is born in Charleville, France. The one-car accident killed his passenger, girlfriend Debra Watts. So, when he shot me. Finally, however, what was left of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited in 1987, according to Check Six. It was the first American victory in the event since 1956. [15] Aerosmith's touring family were quite shaken after receiving word of the crash, as Steven Tyler and Joe Perry had pressured their management into renting that specific plane for use on their tour. The Phoenix Rises. For years, Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant claimed he would die before 30. After World War II, the Cold War began to heat up read more. April 4, 2015 / 3:09 PM / CBS/AP. It was released in 2020. Powell's nose had been nearly torn from his face. A quick apology later, Van Zant, Burns and Rossington were noodling around with their instruments, and decided to form a band. While on the road in the early '90s, a sleeping Wilkeson had his throat slit aboard the Lynyrd Skynyrd tour bus. And in 2009, Powell died of a heart attack. The. Black granite marble wall listing the passengers on the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane that crashed on October [+] 20th, 2022. But then, he came back forward. Ultimately, according to the Hollywood Reporter, a judge upheld the Consent Order and the movie was prevented from being released. People were trapped inside. This year, Lynyrd Skynyrd sued him over his plans to make a Skynyrd biopic initially called Free Bird, until a cease-and-desist order forced a title change to Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash. Lynyrd Skynyrds most recent album, Last of a Dyin Breed, came out in 2012. Bio-documentary that tells the story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash through the eyes of drummer, [+] Artimus Pyle. Passengers were warned of potential problems with the Convair CV-240 and asked to prepare for the crash. On October 20, 1977, a plane crash killed three members of the group, including its guiding light, Ronnie Van Zant . Theres something special, too, she says, about seeing music transcend generations. On October 20, 1977, members of Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded their private plane in Greenville, South (after performing at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium) and headed for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Six others were injured, including Powell and Pyle: band members Allen Collins, Leon Wilkeson, and Gary Rossington, as well as security manager Gene Odom. The rest of those onboard suffered various injuries, the majority of them severe. Disturbing Details About The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash. Here are 10 facts about Lynyrd Skynyrd and their fateful end. It is indisputably the creepiest prediction, but the fiery Street Survivors cover wasnt the first prediction of deadly events for Skynyrd. Although the Transportation Safety Board report stated there was no fire due to there being no fuel, the fiery cover of the album seemed to foretell the fate of the band. Photo by YSSYguy CC BY-SA 3.0 He was one of the survivors of the plane crash that took the lives of three band members frontman Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backup vocalist Cassie Gaines in 1977. Rock Stars Who Walked Away and Never Looked Back, Lynyrd Skynyrd Hanging It up in the Next Year or so, The Fast Times at Ridgemont High Cast: 40 Years Later. He stopped at my seat, did the old hippie handshake, then gave me a beautiful smile. On this day 39 years ago, a plane crash claimed the lives of three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd: lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines. Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer and plane crash survivor Artimus Pyle. When the pilot and co-pilot realized they couldnt make it to a nearby airport to refuel, they began looking at options for an emergency landing. Leon Wilkeson, known as "The Mad Hatter of Southern Rock," was the bassist of the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Auditorium on January 30, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. Even in the 21st century, despite an official investigation and opinion that . "One of them was hugging me around the neck," he said, "and telling me, 'We got to get them out. He was injured in the October 1977 plane crash that took the lives of five people, among them founding member and vocalist Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines. Artimus Pyle,a pilot himself, told everyone how to prepare for the inevitable crash. The site has drawn visitors over the years. Wilkeson was subsequently found dead in a hotel room July 27, 2001, at the age of 49. Road crew member Ken Peden next exited the plane and, along with Powell and Pyle, set out in search of help. A U.S. district judge halted production permanently, finding Pyle in violation of a 1987 consent order which prohibits anyone from participating in a band-related project without the participation of at least three surviving members from Lynyrd Skynyrd's pre-crash era. Just a few miles from their destination, the plane, short on . Killed in the Oct. 20, 1977 crash were . Guitarist and vocalist Steve Gaines was in the center, standing with his eyes closed, mouth open. And I think about it every day.. The plane was gliding at a five degree angle before finally heading into the trees near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Drummer Artimus Pyle and two crew members sought help from a local farmer some distance away. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) The Control Center next granted McCreary's request to land at McComb Airport in Mississippi. Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd (L-R - Leon Wilkeson, Artimus Pyle, Billy Powell, Allen Collins [+] (top), Ronnie Van Zant (seated, Gary Rossington and Steve Gaines pose for an MCA Records publicity still circa 1976. The sole member of Lynyrd Skynyrd to literally walk away from the mangled plane, Artimus Pyles physical wounds somehow consisted of only cuts and abrasions. Crash. He came out of the house, and I looked like Charles Manson all covered in blood, with my long hair and beard. Dozens of news crews flocked to the site of the crash. Collins was felled by pneumonia in 1989 and died shortly after in 1990. In 1978, the National Travel Safety Bureau ruled the probable cause of the accident was fuel exhaustion combined with a lack of attention from the crew, which made the engines stop, but the cause was never absolutely confirmed. Powell was 56. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida . But you may not know the tragedy that the now 63-year-old faced years ago. Aerosmith's assistant chief of flight operations, Zunk Buker, told of observing pilots McCreary and Gray sharing a bottle of Jack Daniel's while he and his father inspected the plane. As a last resort, they attempted an emergency landing in an open field about 300yd (270m) from where the plane eventually went down. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, New York ruled that Pyle's filmidea, Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash, could be released as well. Frontman Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister, backup singer Cassie Gaines, were lost. All Rights Reserved. Ronnie told me years ago in Tokyo, Japan, he would never live to see 30, but he would go out with his boots on. That would explain why, on another flight two days earlier, Allen Collins witnessed a 10-foot flame shooting out of the right engine. One of the most tragic stories in rock history has got to be the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that took the lives of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie. In October 2019, Ronnie Van Zant's widow, Judy Van Zant-Jeness, joined others to dedicate a new monument, created with money from the Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument Project. The band was still touring, though, and released theLynyrd Skynyrd: Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour Lyve! This map was created by a user. In October of '77, legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer Artimu s Pyle and his band Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a plane on their way to a show that would have a fateful ending. He was one of the founding members and guitarists of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and co-wrote many of the band's songs with frontman and original lead singer Ronnie Van Zant.