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.
Ron James (footballer, born 1970)
Affectionately known as Ronnie, he joined Footscray in 1987 but struggled to establish a place for himself in the team, managing only 16 games in three seasons. He kicked a goal on debut in a loss to Carlton but was overall inaccurate during his VFL career, with 16 behinds to go with his six goals. A rover, James received his only Brownlow Medal vote for his 17 disposals in a win over the Brisbane Bears at Western Oval in 1988.