R.I.P. Billy Powell

[ElectricWiz]

Billy Powell, Lynyrd Skynyrd's keyboard player died on Wednesday. That leaves one surviving original member (Gary Rossington).

I just became a fan of LS in the last couple years. I used to think them too southern, or whatever. I was wrong. They are a KICK ass rock band. Especially back in the day. A string of great records.

 

[mdmatt4ever]

RIP. i saw the newer lynyrd skynyrd 3 times

 

[mdmatt4ever]

Billy Powell, Lynyrd Skynyrd's keyboard player died on Wednesday. That leaves one surviving original member (Gary Rossington).

I just became a fan of LS in the last couple years. I used to think them too southern, or whatever. I was wrong. They are a KICK ass rock band. Especially back in the day. A string of great records.

thats false.

*bob burns is still alive. he was a drummer for them in the 70's.
*artimus pyle is still alive. he was the drummer when the plane crashed and survived. he was with them in the early 90's
*ed king is still alive. he was a guitar player for most of the 70's and the early 90's
*ricky medlocke is still alive. he was a drummer very early on for skynyrd and appears on the pre first album demo's called "muscle shoals sessions" as a drummer and sings lead vocals on a few tunes. he is a current guitar player in lynyrd skynyrd

on top of that i believe billy powell wasn't an original member but was added after the band was formed

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Bummer, another Skynyrd gone. Powell was an original member by the way. He was a roadie leading up to their first record deal when he was invited to be a band member.

I used to hate Skynyrd back in my high school days. Not because they sucked, but because they were so overplayed on radio and at parties. After awhile I just couldn't stomach it anymore. But after a 20 year hiatus from radio I recently started getting into them again. They were a great band with a slew of killer songs.

 

[sixxswine]

RIP. i saw the newer lynyrd skynyrd 3 times

I saw them a couple of times as well. I missed 'em last summer when they played around here. I'm sure they put on one hell of a show. Billy was such a big part of the band's sound I don't know that anyone can come in and take over. Hired gun or otherwise. One name that comes to mind that could come in and pick up the slack is Reese Wynans, another phenominal player.

R.I.P. Billy Powell

 

[sixxswine]

I used to hate Skynyrd back in my high school days. Not because they sucked, but because they were so overplayed on radio and at parties. After awhile I just couldn't stomach it anymore.

I can relate. I can't stand to hear "Free Bird" anymore, in fact the times I saw them I saw that as agreat opportunity to leave...
They have some great songs in the back catalog. I never get tired of hearing "Gimmie Three Steps," "Travlin' Man," "Tuesday's Gone," "Down South Junkin'" man there are so many more....

 

[sixxswine]

thats false.

*bob burns is still alive. he was a drummer for them in the 70's.
*artimus pyle is still alive. he was the drummer when the plane crashed and survived. he was with them in the early 90's
*ed king is still alive. he was a guitar player for most of the 70's and the early 90's
*ricky medlocke is still alive. he was a drummer very early on for skynyrd and appears on the pre first album demo's called "muscle shoals sessions" as a drummer and sings lead vocals on a few tunes. he is a current guitar player in lynyrd skynyrd

on top of that i believe billy powell wasn't an original member but was added after the band was formed

You're right there. I can understand how they overlooked the guys not in the band anymore but they forgot about Medlocke?! What the hell?! He's still in the band!!!

 

[poundingmetal74]

Billy's gone........ long gone with the wind. (I mean this completely in homage)

Did he write Free Bird? I heard something about that on the radio but may have misinterpreted it as I was half awake.

 

[mdmatt4ever]

Billy's gone........ long gone with the wind. (I mean this completely in homage)

Did he write Free Bird? I heard something about that on the radio but may have misinterpreted it as I was half awake.

no there are demo versions of free bird available on official lynyrd skynyrd albums without any piano parts because billy powell hadn't joined the band yet.

 

[mdmatt4ever]

I saw them a couple of times as well. I missed 'em last summer when they played around here. I'm sure they put on one hell of a show. Billy was such a big part of the band's sound I don't know that anyone can come in and take over. Hired gun or otherwise. One name that comes to mind that could come in and pick up the slack is Reese Wynans, another phenominal player.

R.I.P. Billy Powell

unfortunately the gaines family and other members of the van zant family control part of the name lynyrd skynyrd and i believe the agreement is there has to be 2 members from the pre crash lineup in the band for them to continue to use the band name. no one knows right now if they will count ricky melocke or not because he was only on demo stuff so this may be the end of skynyrd.

 

[razoredge]

I know a little - great song but otherwise except for the "take me back to the day" feeling the songs have today, I was never huge on Skynyrd due to the excessive play they recieved on the radio and parties as others have mentioned. Southern/country rock does deserve alot of credit for lick savy guitar playing however, The Outlaws, Molly Hatchet, Lynyrd Skynyrd, not a bad era I guess in retrospect

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

I can relate. I can't stand to hear "Free Bird" anymore, in fact the times I saw them I saw that as agreat opportunity to leave...
They have some great songs in the back catalog. I never get tired of hearing "Gimmie Three Steps," "Travlin' Man," "Tuesday's Gone," "Down South Junkin'" man there are so many more....

Yeah, I still can't do Freebird. I've got two LS dvds I watch regularly and I always skip Freebird. 20 years wasn't enough to wash that overfed flavor from my mouth. But like you said, they have such a huge back catalogue of great songs that they're still fun to listen to.

@razoredge, Don't forget Blackfoot as one of the classic southern rock bands. Their concert Live in Kentucky is killer!

 

[razoredge]

@razoredge, Don't forget Blackfoot as one of the classic southern rock bands. Their concert Live in Kentucky is killer!

Yes Blackfoot - Train... train... right ? and Tucker and Little Feet. I also liked the more western country rock like Head East, Tommy Bolins work with James Gang, the Eagles, the Doobie Brothers, Pure Parairie League, Firefall (had a few classics before they were bought out by the commercialism of the industry) and even earlier bands like "The Band", Allman Brothers.

Skynyrd was just so over played, but that happens to those that can write really catchy songs, common people just cant get enough... "I wanna hear Sweet Home Alabama"... like who cant just turn on the little memory knob in their head and hear it, note for note, in complete silence ? Great song until the hords beat it to death.

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

The only songs I really liked were Simple Man, Tuesday's Gone (reminds me of day Tess passed away, was windy and on a Tuesday), SHA and FB... all the other songs I didn't care too much for.. and even though SHA and FB are overplayed i never seem to get bored of it when im driving to or from work... but Tuesday's my favorite song for obvious reasons.. wish they wrote more songs like Simple and Tuesday....

 

[mdmatt4ever]

The only songs I really liked were Simple Man, Tuesday's Gone (reminds me of day Tess passed away, was windy and on a Tuesday), SHA and FB... all the other songs I didn't care too much for.. and even though SHA and FB are overplayed i never seem to get bored of it when im driving to or from work... but Tuesday's my favorite song for obvious reasons.. wish they wrote more songs like Simple and Tuesday....

you don't like "that smell" ?

 

[sixxswine]

you don't like "that smell" ?

That's another good tune....

 

[Wheezer]

Grew up in Alamosa, CO so "Sweet Home Alabama" became "Sweet Home Alamosa" at every school dance. Wonder if they still do that...

 

[Psychonaut]

Never a big Skynyrd fan at all but RIP nonetheless.

 

[sixxswine]

Never a big Skynyrd fan at all but RIP nonetheless.

blasphemous...