Ronnie Van Zant
On October 20, 1977, a plane carrying the band between shows from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ran out of fuel outside Gillsburg, Mississippi. The passengers had been informed about potential problems with the Convair CV-240 and were told to brace for a crash. Van Zant died on impact from head injuries suffered after the aircraft struck a tree. Bandmates Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines, along with assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray, were also killed. The rest of the band was seriously injured. Van Zant was 29 years old.
Ronnie Mann
Mann grew up in Cheltenham, England. Mann also idolised Marco Ruas and Royce Gracie as a youngster after being introduced to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mann began taking Muay Thai lessons at the age of 11 and participated in jiu-jitsu and kickboxing tournaments at the age of 13. Mann competed in his first amateur fight at the age of 16 and turned professional a year later.
In Japan, he fought under the name of Ronnie Ushiwaka, his mother's maiden name.( His Mothers Maiden Name was Promlert (THAI)
Mann's professional mixed martial arts career began in November 2003 with a win over Andy Dicks. A few months later, Mann made his Shooto debut, at "Shooto Holland" where he won via triangle choke after 56 seconds. Staying in Holland, Mann won a further fight, knocking his opponent out in under two minutes. Mann then recorded five successive submission victories.