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 Rocket
In 1987, after having released "Blue Velvet", Lynch once again attempted to pursue "Ronnie Rocket". While scouting actors for the eponymous role, Lynch met Michael J. Anderson, whose work in short films the director had previously seen. As a direct result of meeting Anderson during this time, Lynch would cast the actor in a recurring role in the television series "Twin Peaks", with his first appearance coming in 1990's "Episode 2". Anderson would also appear in Lynch's 1990 short film "Industrial Symphony No. 1", and the 2001 film "Mulholland Drive". Lynch also visited northern England to scout a possible filming location; however, he found that the industrial cities he had hoped to use had become too modernized to fit his intended vision.