Lynyrd Skynyrd Crash: Rock Tragedy in Mississippi
The chartered Convair CV-240 carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd ran out of fuel on October 20, 1977, and crashed into a swamp near Gillsburg, Mississippi, killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and both pilots. Twenty survivors, many severely injured, crawled through the swamp in darkness until farmers found them. The band had been warned about the plane's condition; several members had expressed reluctance to board. Van Zant was 29 years old. 'Free Bird,' the band's signature song, became a memorial anthem. Surviving members reformed the band a decade later with Ronnie's younger brother Johnny on vocals. The crash remains one of the defining tragedies in rock music history, alongside the deaths of Buddy Holly and Otis Redding.
October 20, 1977
49 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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