It Was 30 Years Ago Today: Last Flight of The Free Bird

I only saw Lynyrd Skynyrd, the original Lynyrd Skynyrd, in concert one time. It was October 19, 1977, and sadly, it was to be the very last concert for Ronnie Van Zant.

I was backstage the night of Skynyrd’s final concert. One of my teachers in high school knew Artimus Pyle, and had introduced us, and I used that leverage to worm my way backstage. The concert was a benefit for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign, and Artimus, being a former Marine, was very excited, running around backstage at the old Greenville Memorial Auditorium, introducing people.

That night I met all of the band members. They were all great guys. Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, Leslie Hawkins, Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Allen Collins, Leon Wilkeson, Artimus and of course, the iconic Ronnie Van Zant.

Among the fondest memories of that evening are the few minutes I spent speaking to Ronnie. I told him that I expected him to be some sort of rough neck hell raiser, judging from the stories in the press. He said, “Michael, I am a peaceful guy. I only fight when someone messes with me, my family or my friends.”

Allen Collins was very nice to me that night as well. We sat and talked for just a while, and he was busy trying to introduce me to Gary Rossington, who was surrounded by beautiful girls at the time. I would have to wait over 25 years to finally get some serious face time with Gary, when I interviewed him and his wife Dale Krantz for GRITZ.

People often ask me what Ronnie Van Zant was like. Judging from my brief meeting, all I can say is that he was a good Southern boy with a heart as big as Dixie and more talent than almost anyone I ever knew.  If he had lived, I am certain we the world would have enjoyed many more years of his great song writing and singing. I would have loved to have seen how his plans to do a country album with Merle Haggard turned out.

When I heard the news of the plane crash the next day, I was shocked. At first, we all thought the entire band was dead.  I was upset and shaken. Just three months earlier on August 26, the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis had died. Now this tragedy. Even to this day I find myself unable to shake the feeling that came upon me after hearing the news that the Free Bird had fell to the ground. A few years ago I was called upon to appear on a CMT special called Country’s Most Shocking: Outlaw Country and Southern Rock, helping to tell the stories about Marshall Tucker and Lynyrd Skynyrd. As I sat in the studio being interviewed on camera, I had to fight back the tears, even after all these years.

A few years ago, I sat down with Artimus Pyle and asked him to recount his memories of the events leading up to the tragic airplane crash for an as of yet unpublished book about the old Greenville Memorial Auditorium. Here, for the first time, are his responses.  

“I remember the night before, my wife Pat had fixed this big vegetarian spaghetti dinner, and we were gonna have everybody come over. All of the limos were going to bring everybody over to my little place in Campobello (SC) for this major dinner. Well, nobody made it because everybody had hangovers. A few guys in the crew came over and made that beautiful drive from Greenville, through the country side - you know Michael how beautiful it is. We ate vegetarian spaghetti and this great salad. I sent the limos back to the plane, and I drove my Jeep over to the airport. I was the last one to get there, and I drove up on the tarmac - because I could- and I drove right up the plane - because I could. I stepped directly from my Jeep onto the back stairs of our airplane. I kissed Pat goodbye and she drove off in the Jeep. 

“Two hours later I called her after I had gotten out of the plane crash and found that farm house. I called her from Johnny Mote’s farm house, and I said “Pat, we had an airplane crash, and there were people killed. I am alive. Tell the kids I love them. I have got to go.” And Pat was crying. The whole conversation took less than 30 seconds. And she said “Okay honey I understand.” I walked back out of Johnny’s house and there were all sorts of rescue vehicles coming up to the site of the crash. Johnny put me in his truck and we drove through his fence and through his field until we got to where I had come out of the swamp.”

Artimus recalled that Ronnie and many of the other band members had fallen asleep after some post-concert partying.

“Ronnie was asleep behind the bulkhead. They had the cockpit, and then there was a little area where the galley was, which was the kitchen in our airplane. Then began the first quarters. So Ronnie was sleeping behind the bulkhead. You could shut the cockpit door and the door to the lounge and the kitchen was completely dark. And it was daylight when we were flying, so Ronnie went up into that area and was sleeping. Also, when we flew at 10,000 feet, the floor was cool. It was like an ice box in there, it was so cool, that aluminum aircraft metal. And it was October. So Ronnie slept on that because it was like sleeping on a slab of ice, and he was all hung over, so it felt good. (Laughs) Instead of having an ice pack on your head, he just put the plane on his head. I’m sure it felt great.”

Artimus Pyle today remains vigilant and tireless in his efforts to keep the memory of Ronnie Van Zant alive and well. There’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t speak Ronnie’s name with love and respect, and if you ask for his autograph, nine times out of ten, Artimus will draw a bird with R.V.Z. somewhere beside his name. At every show, be it the APB or other groups he is sitting in with, Artimus always takes time to remember his fallen brother. Now that is a true friend.

Tomorrow is the 30th anniversary of that sad day. As Lynyrd Skynyrd fans the world over pay respects to the memories of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines and Dean Kilpatrick, we at GRITZ and Swampland remember these great Southern musicians with the utmost love and respect. Ronnie sang the words, “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?” Well brother, it’s been 30 years, and your memory is more alive and well than ever.

Keep it Real. Keep it Southern.
Buffalo

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