By Bob Berry

Plane crashes.

From Buddy, Richie and The Bopper, to Otis Redding, Rick Nelson, Jim Croce, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and so many more, plane crashes have taken too many rock and roll souls.

And on October 20th, 1977, a plane crash near Gillsburg, Mississippi took Lynyrd Skynrd.

Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, named for their high school phys-ed teacher, Leonard Skinner. Scratched and clawed for recognition, wrote some of rock’s great anthems, and became one of the great live bands of all-time.

They beat the odds, sang “Songs about the Southland“, and had a blast doing it. And, having lived in Florida since 1999, I can tell you they are beloved in their home state the way those of us from “The D’ feel about Motown’s stars and Bob Seger.

May the souls lost that day, and of their band mates lost over the years, rest in peace.