Only 1 more Skynyrd left(RIP Billy Powell)

DewieCox
DewieCox Posts: 11,432
edited March 2009 in Other Music
Billy Powell, the only keyboardist Lynyrd Skynyrd ever had, died last night at his home near Jacksonville, Florida. He was 56. No cause of death has been announced, and a post on the official Synyrd Website reads, “A Great Loss — Beloved Pianist for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, Billy Powell, passed away last night. We will post more info shortly. The family and band request your respect and understanding during this difficult time. Thank you.” The band is canceling upcoming shows and directing fans to its Website for tour updates.

Powell first joined Skynyrd in 1973 after serving as the band’s roadie for a year. His keyboard work features prominently on the band’s debut (pronounced ‘leh-’nerd ’skin-’nerd), with Powell credited for crafting the intro for their epic anthem “Free Bird” (Number 191 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Songs of All Time). After impressing Ronnie Van Zant with his work on the song, Powell was officially invited to join the band, and remained a member from their debut album until 1977’s Street Survivors.

Powell survived the 1977 plane crash that took the lives of singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines and other crew members. Despite suffering injuries including facial lacerations and nearly losing his nose, Powell was the first to be discharged from the hospital and was the only member to attend his bandmates’ funerals. After Skynyrd, Powell joined the Christian rock band Vision, but reunited with Skynyrd after a decade-long hiatus for some concerts in 1989, and ultimately remained with the band until now. In May, Skynyrd played their first-ever gig at New York’s Madison Square Garden with Kid Rock.

Powell and the rest of his Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. With Powell’s death, guitarist Gary Rossington becomes the lone surviving original Skynyrd member.


^Courtesy of rollingstone
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • stargirl69
    stargirl69 Posts: 6,387
    Sad to hear that,thanks for posting.One of my all time favourite bands.Grew up listening to them.
    “There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”
  • tybird
    tybird Posts: 17,388
    Isn't Rossington in a bad way healthwise?
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  • Cob
    Cob Posts: 858
    Bob Burns is the original drummer and he's still alive, so that makes 2 not 1 original member still left.

    http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/lynyrd-skynyrd
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  • LukinFan
    LukinFan Florida Posts: 29,129
    this is really sad :cry:
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  • carolinabeerguy
    carolinabeerguy Kernersville, NC Posts: 2,516
    Very sad. Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original lineup) was an excellent band that doesn't get as much credit as they deserve. They made a lot of great music not named Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird (not that they're not great too).
    I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.
  • DewieCox
    DewieCox Posts: 11,432
    adam42381 wrote:
    Very sad. Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original lineup) was an excellent band that doesn't get as much credit as they deserve. They made a lot of great music not named Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird (not that they're not great too).

    Just slapped on the One more From the Road vinyl. Right there is the best lineup. Sucks it was such a shortlived thing. Got 2 pretty amazing albums from it. This one, and Street Survivors, of course. Steve Gaines is such a badass.

    EDIT: Yeah, so many great tunes......

    Every Mothers Son
    Gimme Back My Bullets
    All I Can Do Is Write About It
    Whiskey RockaRoller
    pretty well the whole Second Helping album(Need and the Spoon,Curtis Loew)
    Four Walls of Raither
    I Know A Little

    some of my faves
  • carolinabeerguy
    carolinabeerguy Kernersville, NC Posts: 2,516
    DewieCox wrote:
    adam42381 wrote:
    Very sad. Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original lineup) was an excellent band that doesn't get as much credit as they deserve. They made a lot of great music not named Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird (not that they're not great too).

    Just slapped on the One more From the Road vinyl. Right there is the best lineup. Sucks it was such a shortlived thing. Got 2 pretty amazing albums from it. This one, and Street Survivors, of course. Steve Gaines is such a badass.
    That lineup was great too. I should have said the pre-crash lineups were great. I'm throwing on One More From The Road now as well.
    I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.
  • PearlOfAGirl
    PearlOfAGirl Posts: 15,993
    DewieCox wrote:
    Billy Powell, the only keyboardist Lynyrd Skynyrd ever had, died last night at his home near Jacksonville, Florida. He was 56. No cause of death has been announced, and a post on the official Synyrd Website reads, “A Great Loss — Beloved Pianist for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, Billy Powell, passed away last night. We will post more info shortly. The family and band request your respect and understanding during this difficult time. Thank you.” The band is canceling upcoming shows and directing fans to its Website for tour updates.

    Powell first joined Skynyrd in 1973 after serving as the band’s roadie for a year. His keyboard work features prominently on the band’s debut (pronounced ‘leh-’nerd ’skin-’nerd), with Powell credited for crafting the intro for their epic anthem “Free Bird” (Number 191 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Songs of All Time). After impressing Ronnie Van Zant with his work on the song, Powell was officially invited to join the band, and remained a member from their debut album until 1977’s Street Survivors.

    Powell survived the 1977 plane crash that took the lives of singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines and other crew members. Despite suffering injuries including facial lacerations and nearly losing his nose, Powell was the first to be discharged from the hospital and was the only member to attend his bandmates’ funerals. After Skynyrd, Powell joined the Christian rock band Vision, but reunited with Skynyrd after a decade-long hiatus for some concerts in 1989, and ultimately remained with the band until now. In May, Skynyrd played their first-ever gig at New York’s Madison Square Garden with Kid Rock.

    Powell and the rest of his Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. With Powell’s death, guitarist Gary Rossington becomes the lone surviving original Skynyrd member.


    ^Courtesy of rollingstone
    That's so sad :( R.I.P. Billy Powell

    Wish you were here...
    ♥~RIP Dad
  • greenmanny
    greenmanny Posts: 766
    adam42381 wrote:
    Very sad. Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original lineup) was an excellent band that doesn't get as much credit as they deserve. They made a lot of great music not named Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird (not that they're not great too).

    "Tuesday's Gone" is still one of the essential rock ballads in my opinion.
  • Sian-of-the-dead
    Sian-of-the-dead Posts: 8,963
    greenmanny wrote:
    adam42381 wrote:
    Very sad. Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original lineup) was an excellent band that doesn't get as much credit as they deserve. They made a lot of great music not named Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird (not that they're not great too).

    "Tuesday's Gone" is still one of the essential rock ballads in my opinion.

    Agreed :D
    Been to this many PJ shows: Reading 2006 London 2007 Manchester & London 2009 Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen & Berlin 2010 Manchester 1 & Manchester 2 2012...

    ... and I still think Drive-By Truckers are better.
  • dcfaithful
    dcfaithful Posts: 13,076
    greenmanny wrote:
    adam42381 wrote:
    Very sad. Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original lineup) was an excellent band that doesn't get as much credit as they deserve. They made a lot of great music not named Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird (not that they're not great too).

    "Tuesday's Gone" is still one of the essential rock ballads in my opinion.

    Ditto. Probably my favorite Skynyrd track next to 'That Smell'.
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  • WaveCameCrashin
    WaveCameCrashin Posts: 2,929
    My favorite track will always be CURTIS LOWE.. the finest picker to ever play the blues 8-)

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