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.
Lynyrd Skynyrd: I'll Never Forget You
Lynyrd Skynyrd: I'll Never Forget You is a book written by former Lynyrd Skynyrd bodyguard Gene Odom. It details the childhood memories Gene shared with Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. It was followed by another book co-written with Frank Dorman, entitled ""Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering the Free Birds of Southern Rock"".