Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 - October 20, 1977) was an American musician. The medical examiner reported that Wilkeson suffered from liver and lung disease at the time of his death. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and singer Cassie Gaines were all killed in the crash, and the . Gene Odom had been thrown from the plane and broke his neck, his skin badly burned and one eye blinded by phosphorus from a de-icing flare that had been aboard. A medical examiner said on Sunday that Wilkeson suffered from chronic liver and lung disease, and most likely died of natural causes. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. As we walked, Easely pointed to a towering pine. Crying, praying, and counting the dead to see who they would never hug, play music with, and enjoy company with again. Cassie Gaines Lynard Skynyrd plane crash was one of the band's most challenging moments. Yen.com.gh shared an interesting piece on Bianca Lawson age, parents, husband, kids, net worth, and movies. I grabbed my camera and jumped in the car. Lynyrd Skynyrd was known for their hard-rocking style, driven by powerful guitars. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. He rushed to his truck and headed in. The band buckled in. The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. Coincidence? One guy standing near the wreckage lit a cigarette and I tackled him," he said. I'm from southern Thailand. 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. "That solidified that idea. In an interview in the book Walk This Way, Aerosmith's assistant chief of flight operations Zunk Buker tells of seeing pilots McCreary and Gray trading a bottle of Jack Daniels back and forth while Buker and his father were inspecting the plane. He drove down from his home in Oakland, Miss. Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. Willing to lend a hand and stick by his bandmates, he was hard to beat when standing by your side. Lynyrd Skynyrd stops for a shot in 1973. They all died but we didnt. The album had two notable songs: Whats your name and That Smell. You have permission to edit this article. Collins recovered and began performing again, eventually forming the Allen Collins Band. Cassie joined the team and became one of the three members of The Honkette's, a female gospel vocal trio of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Artimus Pyle was also notoriously outspoken against the plane and on several occasions would take buses to shows. But soon, the helicopters that were heard and seen previously were on the scene. In 1975, his sister, Cassie, whose group had been hired to sing back. Posted and no trespassing signs are prominently displayed. Both pilots were lost in the crash as well, however, a decent amount of fans seek the closure of their conviction of attempted manslaughter, even in death. He suffered a heart attack while on break from tour. Natural causes were to blame. Her mother passed away on 15th February 1979 in a car accident. Rescuers look over the wreckage of the 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash. It is reported that the pilots whose eyes were full of terror, told them to go back to their seats and prepare for impact. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. Lynyrd Skynyrd is no doubt an American staple in music and southern rock culture. The cover would quickly be changed to a more bland blacked-out background with the band in the same pose after the accident. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. A few minutes later I was talking my way past a Mississippi State trooper. 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. ", Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. 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. He is best known as a guitarist and backing vocalist with rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976 until his death in the October 1977 airplane crash that claimed other band members and crew. Rescue vehicles on the ground found no direct path in sight. His first band recorded its debut at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, and later bands included RIO Smokehouse and Rusty Day. Toxicology tests were also ordered to determine whether there were drugs in his system at the time. It was the last flight of Lynyrd Skynyrd: Oct. 20, 1977, the night they . Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? We just had released an album that went gold almost overnight. With that cue, Governor took the honors and introduced everyone as Gabel's mouth gaped in disbelief. Wilkeson cheated death in 1977, surviving a crash of the band's chartered plane. On October 20, 1977, Cassie Gaines died of non-communicable disease. According to Powell, Cassie Gaines' final moments were particularly painful as she bled to death in his arms and that her throat had been cut from ear to ear, which gave more indications of execution than an accident. Allen's wife would bleed to death due to a miscarriage. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. I knew I could take photographs if I could get there. At the time of her death, she was 29 years old. ", He reached up and pealed the split fuselage back and, with a flashlight, peered into the dark, jumbled mess of bodies. They were scheduled to perform at the Louisiana State University. Where Did We Find This Stuff? It felt like being hit with baseball bats in a steel garbage can with the lid on. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. Lynyrd Skynyrd did not plan on keeping the plane for long. 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. Photo: Pinterest. He was best known for being a Rock Singer. The plane had completely disintegrated. He then assembled a convoy of trucks and four-wheelers to locate the crash site and rescue the survivors. Skip to main content. He was known as Papa Ronnie. The pilots would have to make an emergency landing. Small and cramped, it still felt better than lift-off of the Convair CV-240. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. Artimus Pyle, drummer for the band, stops for a quick picture while en route to the next show. As the bulletins continued, they became more descriptive: "Tractors were pulling ambulances across a creek" was one exaggerated quote I remember so well. When he was sober, he was a fair and kind person. Pianist Billy Powell survived, but his nose was nearly torn off and he suffered severe facial lacerations. As we walked through the woods, Governor and I agree that nothing looked or felt the same. What injuries did Cassie Gaines die from? The official cause of death will be announced after toxicology test results come back in two to three weeks. He had been impaled by a part of the fuselage and it pushed through his body and projected out of his back. And to Brenda's point, he's writing a book. Then on the other side, it was Allen in the middle of Dean and Cassie. Cassie Gaines died on the 20 th of October, 1977 in a plane crash at Gillsburg, Mississippi when she was only 29 years old. He, like me, was 21-years-old at the time. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. Musician. 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. I was not there to be a gawker or to get in the way. The aircraft was destroyed by impact; there was no fire. On another occasion, while reportedly on a drunken rage, he even slashed the hands of Gary Rossington, his best friend and guitarist, with a broken beer bottle. He didn't know who the victims were. He had known Easley Creek since his youth. The band regularly has different people sit in and play shows with them like Warren Haynes and Dicky Betts. The plane was produced from 1947-1954. Photo: thetv.info. Van Zant himself "loathed flying," as Rolling Stone. Circa 1975, Singers Cassie Gaines , Leslie Hawkins and Jo Jo Billingsley of the American rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1970s. At the beginning of the flight, all was well, amid high tensions. The band had just released their biggest album to date and was riding off of a good high. Don't look like they can afford a ticket. Gary Rossington broke both his arms and both his legs in the crash, and took many months to recuperate. It was suggested on the VH-1 Behind The Music profile on Skynyrd that this was the case, or that the pilots, panicking when the right engine failed, accidentally dumped the remaining fuel. 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. According to a Billboard report, he died of natural causes in his sleep. It was known that the right engine's magneto a small power generator that provides spark and timing for the engine had been malfunctioning (Powell, among others, spoke of seeing flames shooting out of the right engine on a trip just prior to the accident), and that pilots McCreary and Gray had intended to repair the damaged part when the travelling party arrived in Baton Rouge. Powell also claimed that Ronnie Van Zant's head had been smashed. Ronnie Van Zant was just more than the bands main songwriter, frontman, and singer. 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. Lynyrd Skynyrd reformed in 1987, and has been touring and recording steadily ever since with Johnny Van Zant, brother of the late Ronnie, as lead singer. Before joining the music band, she was an original cast member of a school play under Hairspray. The only thing left was a trail of debris and people. We had to cross a black water slew," he said. The album had deeper meaning than most. We always wondered why, you know. The surviving members would grapple with this throughout their days. Lewis was on emergency room call that night at McComb's Southwest Regional Medical Center. The aircraft crashed in a heavily wooded area during an attempted emergency landing. Gabel says he's been to the site 15 or more times. 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. ", "I expected to see all dead people looking at these woods. Cassie was buried in Orange Park, Florida, together with her brother, Steve Gains. "I was well prepared with advanced trauma life support training," he said, "and (I was) a flight surgeon in the military. One of them being completely decapitated. However, they were apparently talked into using it just one more time which happened to be their last ride. On 20th October 1977, the Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after their performance in Greenville, South Carolina. When the group asked Ronnies father how he was, he simply replied Hes fine. Although Steven Tyler and Joe Perry had insisted that they charter the plane, ultimately it was not signed to the band. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. All the surrounding land is privately owned and prominently marked with "No Trespassing" signs. Part of the preparations required contacting landowners and securing permission to be there and a guide to lead me in. 5 spot, it was the bands first No. Allen Collins, another guitar player for the group, had cracked two vertebrae, and the cut to his right arm was so severe, that it almost required amputation. Artimus has had many ups and downs since then, several incarcerations, and a huge falling out with Gary. According to the bands autobiography, Zunk Buker, Aerosmiths chief of flight operations manager, was inspecting the plane and the crew before they pulled the trigger. The album would go through several cover changes and would mark a new era for the guys. The plane finally slammed into the earth, and Billy Powell recalls saying, We hit the trees at approximately 90 mph. Aerosmith's touring family was also relieved because the band, specifically Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, had been trying to pressure their management into renting that specific plane. The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. 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. It felt like being hit with baseball bats in a steel garbage can with the lid on. We had a friendly translator whose command of the English language was poor at best. He would eventually succumb to paralytic pneumonia while being treated in a hospital in 1990. But soon, the helicopters that were heard and seen previously were on the scene. The original cover was restored after the 30th anniversary of the album. Contributing to the fuel exhaustion were inadequate flight planning and an engine malfunction of undetermined nature in the right engine which resulted in higher-than-normal fuel consumption." Lynyrd Skynyrd pose for a portrait circa 1976. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. A Convair CV-240. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray were fully aware of a fuel shortage before the flight took off. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. The will to carry on was strong, however, Pyle being a US Marine, would live out the phrase Semper Fidelis which means always faithful. "He didn't want to talk about it for years.". It would be another hour before I heard the big news. Tangled by underbrush and the 20-foot creek, the rescue team had to act and think fast. The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. Soon after the plane would begin to jerk and shake violently. He remembered seeing bodies everywhere. Photo credits Airplane-Pictures.net. The plane had completely disintegrated. These combinations of poorly built aircraft and less than acceptable crew quickly led to the dismissal of the band leasing out their services. He smiled broadly and said, "Turn it up! Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. 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. However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. Gene Odom had been thrown from the plane and broke his neck, his skin badly burned and one eye blinded by phosphorus from a de-icing flare that had been aboard. He pulled the lifeless body of Cassie Gaines up by her belt. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. Natural causes were to blame. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. He also knew I had no business there, but his face told me he knew I was beginning a new career that night. It sounded great to us. memorial page for Cassie LaRue Hatfield Gaines (26 Nov 1926-15 Feb 1979), Find a Grave Memorial ID 37010431, citing Jacksonville Memory . Wilkeson cheated death in 1977, surviving a crash of the band's chartered plane. He was known as Papa Ronnie. "Why, yes I do," I said, thinking about my roots, my old buddies and the high school dances. Suffocating the people on the bottom from the sheer weight. 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. That now legendary and near-mythical plane crash killed Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Honkettes backup singer Cassie Gaines, assistant tour manager Dean Kilpatrick and the pilot and co-p It is reported that the pilots whose eyes were full of terror, told them to go back to their seats and prepare for impact. "Seems like everyone is writing a book. Gary Rossington, one of the bands guitar players, had suffered two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver. I'd deal with that later. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another. Here Are Our Sources: Remembering Lynyrd Skynyrds Deadly 1977 Plane Crash, Jordan Runtagh, The Rolling Stones, What Happened To The Surviving Members Of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash?, Micheal Cristopher, Ultimate Classic Rock.com, Falling Free Bird: The Truth About The Infamous Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash Is Stranger Than Fiction, Phil Gibbons, Ranker.com, The Joplin Globe Steve and Cassie Gaines to be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. There were 26 people on that fateful flight. Any debris left on the ground has long been buried. In the beginning, the singer was reluctant to board the aircraft and had already bought another commercial flight ticket. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. 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. 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. On one occasion after a show, he approached Billy Powell who was the bands keyboard player, and punched him so hard in the mouth he knocked his two front teeth out. It Crashed, Killing 3 Members, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Drinking, Fighting, Hell-Raising: The Classic Skynyrd Lineup In Pittsburgh, Associate Press Mississippi Road Signs For Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash Site, Hollywood Reporter Appeals Court Reverses Ban on Lynyrd Skynyrd Movie, Ronnie Van Zant Of Lynyrd Skynyrd Predicted His Own Death, Groove History, 1977 Missippi Convair CV-240 Plane Crash, Wikipedia, History Collection The Deadliest Plane Crash in Canada Killed 248 Soldiers in 1985, History Collection A Plane Crashed into the Empire State Building (1945). She was born on 9th January 1948 in Missouri, USA. I marked my calendar and made arrangements. Was there a guest book?". Almost four decades later, I noticed a seemingly innocuous post on Facebook. Pyle claimed in a February 2007 appearance on Howard Stern's Sirius radio program that Mote had shot him; Mote has always denied shooting the drummer. 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. Through the woods, yet another seeker appeared. I'm really not sure anymore," he said. Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. 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. We were shocked, as were most others hearing the news. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 2023 Getty Images. 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. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. Cassie Gaines was a talented and committed backup singer for the Lynard Skynyrd music band until she died in a plane crash. 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. "I'd never seen anything like that," he said. With a newly-released album, "Street Survivors," they were flying from a concert in Greenville, S.C. to the next night's show at LSU in Baton Rouge in a substandard charter plane. "They seemed to be chasing him, trying to flag him down. But a message on the group's official Web site said the summer tour will resume on Aug. 7, in Spokane, Wash. We'd move one and there would be another one laying there." You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Photo: Pinterest. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Ben Gabel, of Denham Springs, is a former surveyor, and navigated to the scene from the official NTSB report, which includes the latitude and longitude. Drummer Artimus Pyle crawled out of the plane wreckage with several broken ribs, but was ambulatory, as were road crew members Kenneth Peden Jr. and Mark Frank.
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