Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist dies at 56

[big dog cowboy]

Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist dies at Florida home

Jan. 28, 2009, 12:53 PM EST

ORANGE PARK, Fla. (AP) -- A keyboardist for the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died at his northeast Florida home.

Orange Park Police Lt. Mark Cornett says 56-year-old keyboard player Billy Powell called 911 about 12:55 a.m. Wednesday saying he was having trouble breathing. Rescue crews performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at 1:52 a.m.

Cornett says no foul play is suspected and an autopsy will not be performed.

He says Powell missed a Tuesday appointment with his doctor for a cardiac evaluation. A heart attack is suspected.

Powell was one of two surviving band members who were with the group before a 1977 plane crash that killed three of its members.

 

[Jon88]

Drugs are bad.

 

[lane]

sob!! he was a great keyboardist.

my favorite band.

that just leaves artimus and gary as the last survivors of the plane crash.

 

[lane]

Drugs are bad.

why do you want to post some disrespectful **** like that?

 

[lane]

[youtube]J66toEANFtA[/youtube]

 

[lane]

[youtube]8sF0bQBOsFM[/youtube]

 

[Yeagermeister]

One of my favs also

 

[poke]

i love me some skynyrd

 

[CowboyPrincess]

Wow.. I just saw this in the Political Zone and I'm shocked. Ironic but I am wearing my Lynyrd Skynyrd concert tank today that has the rebel flag on it. I didn't even know that the sound behind Freebird had been silenced.

I drove my parents crazy playing Freebird, gimme three steps, sweet home alabama, etc over and over and over

I saw them in concert before the crash in 77. I had just turned 13 and my uncles took me to see them cuz I was such a Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama fanatic. I remember watching Billy on the keyboards in amazement when they played Freebird.. I was in a trance, so to speak. I remember wondering if that song was ever going to end. I've been a fanatic since


R.I.P Billy - Bye bye, it's been a sweet love and you are as free as a bird now.

We will remember you.

Say hi to Ronnie and crew for us.

 

[Hoofbite]

Unfortunate that he missed an appointment a few days ago.

 

[lane]

Wow.. I just saw this in the Political Zone and I'm shocked. Ironic but I am wearing my Lynyrd Skynyrd concert tank today that has the rebel flag on it. I didn't even know that the sound behind Freebird had been silenced.

I drove my parents crazy playing Freebird, gimme three steps, sweet home alabama, etc over and over and over

I saw them in concert before the crash in 77. I had just turned 13 and my uncles took me to see them cuz I was such a Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama fanatic. I remember watching Billy on the keyboards in amazement when they played Freebird.. I was in a trance, so to speak. I remember wondering if that song was ever going to end. I've been a fanatic since


R.I.P Billy - Bye bye, it's been a sweet love and you are as free as a bird now.

We will remember you.

Say hi to Ronnie and crew for us.

i envy you that you got to see one of the best bands ever live.

that band was amazing.

gary has heart problems as well ....when he goes we will lose one of the best guitarists ever.

do you have "freebird the movie" on dvd?

if not..i highly recommend it.

i'm going to post some clips from it.

 

[lane]

[youtube]CIdRFEVS0QU[/youtube]

 

[lane]

[youtube]ssNtV_f7b0o[/youtube]

 

[lane]

[youtube]17vsYwDfMm4[/youtube]

 

[lane]

[youtube]VdQDMt_m90Y[/youtube]

 

[lane]

[youtube]vCqXgYWAYE4[/youtube]

 

[CowboyPrincess]

i envy you that you got to see one of the best bands ever live.

that band was amazing.

gary has heart problems as well ....when he goes we will lose one of the best guitarists ever.

do you have "freebird the movie" on dvd?

if not..i highly recommend it.

i'm going to post some clips from it.

One of the advantages of being middle aged. I got to see some amazing concerts when I was young. Lynyrd Skynyrd was by far the best concert I ever saw.

I don't have the DVD, but I definitely need to get it.

Thanks for the clips

 

[lane]

One of the advantages of being middle aged. I got to see some amazing concerts when I was young. Lynyrd Skynyrd was by far the best concert I ever saw.

I don't have the DVD, but I definitely need to get it.

Thanks for the clips

my pleasure.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

[youtube]17vsYwDfMm4[/youtube]

This, "T for Texas", "Simple Man", "The Ballad Of Curtis Loew", "Cry For The Bad Man" and "Down South Jukin'" are probably my top 5-6 Skynyrd songs.


I got to see Skynyrd at least twice before their demise. Once at an all-day event at the Cotton Bowl in 100 degree heat in the middle of July of 75 or 76.


I can't remember all the bands there that day, but it was Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, Alvin Lee and Ten Years After, Ted Nugent among others.


Somewhere, I have that "Street Survivor" album sleeve w/ the fire. The album itself, is long gone but the sleeve was in pretty good shape last time I ran across it.

 

[Passepartout]

Love their song "Free, As A Bird!"