His post noted that he and many others had made pilgrimages for years to the site to pay their respects. A Convair CV-240. If a band couldn't play Skynyrd, they didn't get hired for the school dance. There were 24 passengers and two crew members aboard the aircraft. Artimus has had many ups and downs since then, several incarcerations, and a huge falling out with Gary. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. The pilots were still in their seats, but were laying upside down in nearby trees. 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. On October 20, 1977, Cassie Gaines died of non-communicable disease. Cassie Gaines - Bio, Personal Life, Family & Cause Of Death - CelebsAges When he was sober, he was a fair and kind person. Rossington recalls saying It was always weird for Allen and me because we were up front in the plane. Collins entered the hospital with pneumonia symptoms and was in a coma the last few days, said longtime friend Ann Thompson. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. Sooner Guitarist's Music Lives On Even in Death - The Oklahoman But not all had the intentions of lending a helping hand. Although Steven Tyler and Joe Perry had insisted that they charter the plane, ultimately it was not signed to the band. Her mother passed away on 15th February 1979 in a car accident. Marc Frank recalled hearing both engines on the plane then within a matter of minutes, just air passing over the cabin. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! "Folks were all mashed together. Two of them were crew members, pilot Walter McReary and co-pilot William Gray, the rest were band members and roadies. 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. 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. Then on the other side, it was Allen in the middle of Dean and Cassie. I dont know who you think we are but we were on a plane and the plane crashed out there on the other side of that cow pasture. Mote instantly connected the dots to the sound he heard earlier and the men that lay before him. A plane crash left lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt, lead guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines dead. As we walked, Easely pointed to a towering pine. 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 In a separate interview, revealing the story of sound man Paul Welch who suffered traumatic injuries in this crash and was sent into a coma, shares that the plane that was utilized during this trip was already catching fire around the engine area and Lynyrd Skynyrd had requested to cease using it. "But using a phone out here is worthless," he said, and even with his expertise, he had trouble finding the exact spot of the crash site. He had been hospitalized since September. Rossington and keyboardist Billy Powell are now the only founding members in the band. 5 album. Mote hopped into his pick-up to get back to his house, told his wife to get back in the house, then proceeded to grab his gun and stand guard. Dean Kilpatrick, the bands manager, lay dead and covered in blood. He smiled broadly and said, "Turn it up! Cassie was buried in Orange Park, Florida, together with her brother, Steve Gains. Cassie Gaines (1948-1977) - Find a Grave Memorial Natural causes were to blame. Pyle, Frank, and Peden were met with hostility when they finally came up to Mote. 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. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. It is reported that the pilots whose eyes were full of terror, told them to go back to their seats and prepare for impact. Johnny headed for the crash site to see if he could help. 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. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. Another 20 were injured, which included keyboardist Billy Powell, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, drummer Artimus Pyle and bassist Leon Wilkeson. However, other band members convinced her otherwise. He was only 39, but was no rookie. Cassie Gaines, a member of the backing vocal trio known as the Honkettes and sister of guitarist Steve Gaines, was so petrified that she nearly squeezed in the band's cramped equipment truck. In 1975, his sister, Cassie, whose group had been hired to sing back. It is a cautionary song about drug abuse that fans believed was aimed at one of the members. Buker had noticed the flight crew passing around liquor bottles while aboard the plane. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. I'm from southern Thailand. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. As soon as it seemed that the worst of the flight was passing, the true nightmare was about to set in for Lynyrd Skynyrd and the crew aboard. A little after an hour of trudging through a creek and at one point burrowing underneath a barbed wire fence they found themselves staring at a small, dim light in the distance. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. 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. Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 10/20/77 and a notebook-sized rebel flag are deeply etched into the old bark. He was a walking treasure trove of names, facts and figures. The whole scene tore him apart. Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 - October 20, 1977) was an American musician. Photo: Pinterest. Collins, 37, suffered respiratory failure, said a Memorial Medical Center spokeswoman. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol on that fateful night, he heard the report of a plane crash over the citizens band radio. The accident essentially destroyed one of the unique voices of American rock and roll. Violent, wild, and belligerent, Ronnie was a force to be reckoned with. 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. There is some speculation as to why the second engine had ultimately failed. "They stopped, straight back there," he said, and pointed to the tree line a quarter mile across open hay fields and woods. Suffocating the people on the bottom from the sheer weight. Tangled by underbrush and the 20-foot creek, the rescue team had to act and think fast. Mote hopped into his pick-up to get back to his house, told his wife to get back in the house, then proceeded to grab his gun and stand guard. With my camera at the ready, the translator and I stood watch on the prow of the brightly colored wooden boat as we plowed the exotic coastline. Natural causes were to blame. Bianca is an American actress. 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. I obviously didn't know what I was doing. Brenda Martin, 17 at the time, lived with her husband, Johnny Mote (now divorced) in their mobile home on the north side of the crash site. Van Zant himself "loathed flying," as Rolling Stone. Both of which helped the album climb to the No. Photo: obviousmag.org. It would also be the first album that guitarist Steve Gaines would be the sole guitar player on. A small plane with 40 seats and two props the plane was anything but extraordinary. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. He could hear the people moaning, pleading for help. I threw it in reverse and plowed into my mother-in-law's car. Shining from what seemed to be a small house on a dairy farm. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The plane was produced from 1947-1954. Where Did We Find This Stuff? 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). Cassie Gaines mother was LaRue, while her father was Bud. After claiming his deceased son, Lacy Van Zant went to visit the other members of the band at the hospital. But there wasn't any gas on the ground because they ran out of gas.". Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. Two of them were crew members, pilot Walter McReary and co-pilot William Gray, the rest were band members and roadies. Collins and other band members were severely injured. Both brother and sister were killed in the airplane crash that also took the life of Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. MCA Records, out of courtesy, withdrew the sleeve and replaced it with a cover of the band striking a similar pose against a plain black background. However, it is believed that the pilots were trying to transfer oil from one engine to another when they accidentally jettisoned the fuel instead. Tremendous physical pain overwhelmed the group as did mental exhaustion. Cassie Gaines Wikipedia; Sponsored Links. As the bulletins continued, they became more descriptive: "Tractors were pulling ambulances across a creek" was one exaggerated quote I remember so well. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. As he looked around the scene, his mind went back. It was rumored that it was Ed Kings (original guitar player for Lynyrd Skynyrd) wife but it was not confirmed. I would like to think that only one grave robber was involved, but so many items were missing that I have to believe otherwise. It was as if they were back in Noahs time and all but a select few were stricken with greed of mankind and the chance to capitalize on an easy opportunity. They were scheduled to perform at the Louisiana State University. A Convair CV-240, similar to the one in the crash. However, they were apparently talked into using it just one more time which happened to be their last ride. Updated cover after plane crash, 1977The official NTSB accident report reads, "The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines due to crew inattention to fuel supply. Killing three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd: Apparently in - thevintagenews I can't remember," he said. Artimus Pyle, drummer for the band, stops for a quick picture while en route to the next show. The singer died in the arms of the surviving band's keyboardist Billy Powell. Among them were Lacy Van Zant, Ronnies Father, and .38 Specials Guitarist Dan Barnes. That farm belonged to a young dairy farmer named Johnny Mote. Its many hit songs include "Freebird," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Gimme Three Steps" and "Simple Man.". Gary Rossington, one of the bands guitar players, had suffered two broken arms, a broken leg, a punctured stomach and liver. The album had a very controversial cover when released. Cassie Gaines was born on January 9, 1948 and died on October 20, 1977. ", "There were plenty of old boys standing around here. "May the free bird fly on," read one message. Musician. She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. The plane finally slammed into the earth, and Billy Powell recalls saying, We hit the trees at approximately 90 mph. How did Cassie Gaines of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd die? - Yen Especially Artimus, who had three broken ribs and multiple large cuts. When Aerosmith's crew heard of Skynyrd's misfortune, they were shocked, but not necessarily surprised. All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. But soon, the helicopters that were heard and seen previously were on the scene. Almost as mysteriously, the full bottle is never seen again. Billy Powell would be in the new starting line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd until his death in 2009. He later caused a controversy by giving a lurid account of Cassie Gaines' final moments on a VH1 Behind The Music special about the band, claiming that the backing singer's throat was cut from ear to ear and that she bled to death in his arms. Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. My college roommate was a young photojournalist. The flight was going good so far and other than Ronnie getting severely intoxicated while on the flight, all seemed to be setting up to be another routine flight. Cassie Larue Gaines was an American singer. I admired his ability to tell gripping stories with his camera, so I began considering a career change. Original cover for Street Survivors, 1977Notably, the third member of The Honkettes, JoJo Billingsley, was not on the plane and in fact was home tending to a family member's illness. "Sweet Home Alabama" became the southern anthem for millions. The will to carry on was strong, however, Pyle being a US Marine, would live out the phrase Semper Fidelis which means always faithful. Totaled, decimated, and left for dead. Sadly, it would end all to soon. Then on the other side, it was Allen in the middle of Dean and Cassie. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. As the three marched on, feet soaking wet from the water, all odds seemed stacked against the trio. Her brother was Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines. The location sounded familiar so he asked them to repeat. The band had just released their biggest album to date and was riding off of a good high. 10 Details About the Fatal Plane Crash that Was the Death of Lynyrd 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. So we came out here and got busy. The aircraft was destroyed by impact; there was no fire. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. The band got its name as a way of mocking Leonard Skinner, a gym coach at Robert E. Lee High School known for punishing his long-haired students specifically band co-founders Gary Rossington and Bob Burns. Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, Kilpatrick and the pilots were laid in a temporary morgue at a local high school gymnasium. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. It wasn't a Cessna; it was a Convair CV 240, a twin engine, 40-passenger plane that was down in heavy woods near Gillsburg. Everyone was afraid of riding on this plane. Circa 1975, Singers Cassie Gaines , Leslie Hawkins and Jo Jo Billingsley of the American rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1970s. Mother of Lynyrd Skynyrd members Cassie Gaines and Steve Gaines. 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. "From there, we followed the lights of the helicopter," he said. Photo credits Airplane-Pictures.net. One of them being completely decapitated. We had to cross a black water slew," he said. The three injured men hiked some distance from the crash site, through swampy woods, and finally flagged down farmer Johnny Mote, who had come to investigate. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. What happened to the Menendez brothers' money? "Steve was at the peak of his career.

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