Billy Powell of Lynyrd Skynrd Dies
 

Too bad. I loved his "honky tonk" style. RIP Billy.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-powell29-2009jan29,0,6703175.story

That is finally the end of LS. Evidently there was an agreement that the LS name could only be used if 2 "real" members were in the band. Now there aren't enough left...

god speed

Actually I believe it was 3 original members which is why there is the issue with Artimus Pyle and Ed King.

Seem to recall that Ronnies wife gets a big vote in the doings of the band and was on board with keeping Pyle and King out.

Michael Cartellone is the current drummer, my wife knows him, awesome drummer. Formerly of Damn Yankees

RIP Billy... and a band from my youth. Although guitar's were their thing, Billy's keyboards were essential. There hasn't been a LS for 30 years...regardless the name used.

Perhaps this cover band can fill in;)

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You're a cold, cruel man Dueller...:) Actually, I'm listening to that link as I type this, and it's no worse that what was passing themselves off as LS these past few years!

:( Yes, very sad, he lived right down the street, he was a member of the same club (the one one the river, where I like to go for happy hour) and use to live as well:(

Another sad note, we lost another member of the same club, around Billy's age over the weekend of a heart attack:(

RIP guys, you earned it.

The ride in Skynyrd's version of "Call Me the Breeze" will never sound the same. Wow, how many times did he beat the odds? Sorry to see him go out like this....NOTE: Keep your Dr. appts.:(

Sorry 'bout that Byron...

ps: For any of you who think LS was a redneck "joke of a band", the Drive By Truckers (a damn good band in their own right) did an album called "Southern Rock Opera" some years back which was essentially a tribute to LS and hits home with me. Patterson Hood (is bassist David Hood - from Muscle Shoals fame son), grew up hating LS, and is the principle song writer and spot on in his recap of LS, Neil Young, Sweet Home Alabama, racism, etc. ...but I digress....

edited: It's not the same without the guitar attack, but here's a bit from that album:

RONNIE AND NEIL
(Hood / DBT)

Church blew up in Birmingham
Four little black girls killed for no goddamn good reason
All this hate and violence can't come to no good end
A stain on the good name.
A whole lot of good people dragged threw the blood and glass
Blood stains on their good names and all of us take the blame

Meanwhile in North Alabama, Wilson Pickett comes to town
To record that sweet soul music, to get that Muscle Shoals sound

Meanwhile in North Alabama, Aretha Franklin comes to town
To record that sweet soul music, to get that Muscle Shoals sound

And out in California, a rock star from Canada writes a couple of great songs about the
Bad **** that went down
"Southern Man" and "Alabama" certainly told some truth
But there were a lot of good folks down here and Neil Young wasn't around

Meanwhile in North Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd came to town
To record with Jimmy Johnson at Muscle Shoals Sound
And they met some real good people, not racist pieces of ****
And they wrote a song about it and that song became a hit

Ronnie and Neil Ronnie and Neil
Rock stars today ain't half as real
Speaking there minds on how they feel
Let them guitars blast for Ronnie and Neil

Now Ronnie and Neil became good friends their feud was just in song
Skynyrd was a bunch of Neil Young fans and Neil he loved that song
So He wrote "Powderfinger" for Skynyrd to record
But Ronnie ended up singing "Sweet Home Alabama" to the lord

And Neil helped carry Ronnie in his casket to the ground
And to my way of thinking, us southern men need both of them around

Ronnie and Neil Ronnie and Neil
Rock stars today ain't half as real
Speaking their minds on how they feel
Let them guitars blast for Ronnie and Neil

Sad thing, growing up, I was never a fan, even though I went to school & was friends with the relatives, my favorite cousin was/ still is very good friends with the band and what is left, grew up riding around the same area they spent a lot of time at my favorite Aunt's home (cousin Billy's mother) and their family plots aren't far from ours:( It wasn't until I was in my 20s that I started to appreciate their music.

WHAT SONG DO YOU WANNA HEAR?

Saw them at the long beach area... one of my favorite bands.

RIP Mr. Powell :(

Byron, I'm a few years older than you, "grew up with them", and ALL of their complete albums, not just the same, tired, overplayed songs one might hear on the radio (like most bands with a few hit songs). They truly were a fine band in their day, that rocked - southern style :), and like you, Patterson learned "that too" later in life and hence his tribute album.
Hope you're doing well...

I remember where I was when I hear about the plane crash. Strange how you do that....

Billy's playing at the beginning of Free Bird was classic

There was a small service for Billy this past weekend.:(



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Thanks for the link Byron. I just sat there for almost 11 minutes and went back to simpler times. Lots of feelings.

I lucked out finding that, I can't picture there being a better on, brough a tear to me eye too.

Life has sure gotten more complicated..... Live today like its your last.

RIP Billy....

Looks like he died of organ failure....no pun intended.

Whiskey bottles, brand new car, oak tree you're in my way.

Thanks for that link Byron...brought back some memories! Where the heck did 30 years go :(.
"The Ballad of Curtis Loew" was one of my alltime favorites (amongst others a lot of casual listeners have never heard of). Not bad for a bunch of working class boys from the westside, eh Byron? BTW, that rebel flag hanging in the background was typical LS...them boys weren't racists...just rebels :)