Sorely Missed

On this date in 1977 - 31 years ago - a plane ran out of fuel and crashed near McComb, Mississippi while trying to land. Six people were killed in the crash and the rest sustained injuries.

Just as Lynyrd Skynyrd was getting the world-wide attention they deserved, lead singer and writer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist and writer Steve Gaines and Gaines sister, back-up singer Cassie Gaines, pilot Walter Wiley McCreary and co-pilot William John Gray, both of Dallas Texas, and Dean Kilpatrick, assistant road manager for the group were killed. All died instantly.

It took 10 years for the band to reunite (with Ronnie's brother Johnnie from .38 Special as lead singer), and after going through several personnel changes, I went to one of their concerts with Boy Wonder a couple of months ago, and Skynyrd is kicking ass today as much as they ever did - and still singing about common folks.