27/10/2025
On this date in history, October 20, 1977, the music world was shaken by a sudden tragedy.
The southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was at the absolute peak of their career, touring across the country for sold-out crowds. ✈️
Just three days earlier, they had released their fifth studio album, titled "Street Survivors."
While flying from South Carolina to Louisiana for their next show, their chartered Convair plane began to have engine trouble. The aircraft had run out of fuel.
Pilots attempted an emergency landing, but the plane clipped tall pine trees and crashed violently into a swampy forest near Gillsburg, Mississippi.
The impact was devastating. Lead singer and founder Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines were killed.
Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick and the two pilots, Walter McCreary and William Gray, also lost their lives. 🎵
Miraculously, twenty other people on board survived the crash, though many suffered horrific injuries. Drummer Artimus Pyle, with broken ribs, crawled from the wreckage and walked through the swamp to find help from a local farmer.
In a chilling coincidence, the original cover of the "Street Survivors" album depicted the band surrounded by flames. Out of respect for the dead and their families, the record label quickly recalled the album and replaced the cover art. 🙏
The crash marked the abrupt end of an era for Lynyrd Skynyrd, but the enduring power of their music ensured their legacy would never be forgotten.
