On October 20, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd and their entourage were flying in a chartered Convair CV-300 when the plane ran out of fuel and crashed in Gillsburg, Mississippi, near the end of its flight from Greenville, SC, to Baton Rouge, LA.
Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines (Steve's older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray were all killed as a result of the crash. Twenty others survived.
The band was at their height of their popularity when the plane crashed, and many of the members who weren't killed were seriously injured. Since 1987, remaining members of the group have formed several different reiterations of the band.
Music trivia: The band's name is a mocking tribute to their gym teacher at Robert E. Lee High School, Leonard Skinner, who had a strict policy against long hair on boys.
