Billy Powell of Skynyrd passed away

[ELVIS]

Johnny's new stuff with his brother Donnie is some good stuff if you can tolerate the country feel!

I can't, and I think Johnny's voice has always sounded like shit and made Skynyrd sound country compared to the real thing...

I like some country, but not a bit of that overproduced formula bullshit...

[Douglas T.]

I can't, and I think Johnny's voice has always sounded like shit and made Skynyrd sound country compared to the real thing...

I like some country, but not a bit of that overproduced formula bullshit...

I don't like country and I don't like deluted Skynyrd!

[ELVIS]

Could have fooled me from the post I quoted you from...

[Douglas T.]

Could have fooled me from the post I quoted you from...

Yeah I confuse myself sometimes! I don't like country but like the Van Zant country album only because it has the Van Zant stamp on it! Like not being a bluegrass fan but liking Strummin' with the Devil!

[Rikk]

Very sad shit.

This is still among my favorite three or so bands. His piano solo on I KNOW A LITTLE, his piano solo on TUESDAY'S GONE (unless that's actually Al Kooper)...very sad.

I personally thought the reformed band should have quit years ago. I think it was classless kicking Ed King out...and it showed the integrity of the whole idea.

But I bet $1000 that they'll replace him within a month or two...

Johnny Van Zant indeed is a polished, new-country style singer. His brother had a ghostly, mournful voice with a real edge to it. He didn't fall back on blues-cliche sounds...he didn't overdo the country drawl...he was amazing. My favorite singer besides Dave and maybe Iggy Pop. But Johnny is a poor man's version...the real redneck that Ronnie really wasn't...

[Diamondjimi]

Good post there Rikk.

How ya been?

[BITEYOASS]

It'd be a whole differant world today had that plane had a bit more gas in the tank!

Or if the roadies decided to pull a prank, take the propellers off the plane and give them to band as gifts at the end of the tour.

[FORD]

Band was getting better with each release, and this is a band that was hot out of the box with their first album. Street Survivors was brilliant...fucking shame...seriously.

Hiring Steve Gaines was the best decision the band ever made. (Or maybe hiring Cassie Gaines was, because they never would have heard of Steve without her)

He brought a lot to the band, and he and Ronnie would have no doubt written some great tunes together, had they not taken that final flight.

[78/84 guy]

You Got That Right has to be one of the coolest Skynyrd tune's of all time. Love the way they trade off vocal's & the break in the middle of the song is killer !!

[Diamondjimi]

Hiring Steve Gaines was the best decision the band ever made. (Or maybe hiring Cassie Gaines was, because they never would have heard of Steve without her)

He brought a lot to the band, and he and Ronnie would have no doubt written some great tunes together, had they not taken that final flight.

Absolutely. Skynyrds "next level" would've been incredible. Gaines brought a lot to the table. Hell of a talent.

You Got That Right has to be one of the coolest Skynyrd tune's of all time. Love the way they trade off vocal's & the break in the middle of the song is killer !!

Great tune. Steve's vocals blended in perfect with the Skynyrd sound....

[Rikk]

Good post there Rikk.

How ya been?

Doin' great, bro. Teaching...loving work. Living with the GF. Been busy as shit.

Good to see ya!

[Rikk]

Hiring Steve Gaines was the best decision the band ever made. (Or maybe hiring Cassie Gaines was, because they never would have heard of Steve without her)

He brought a lot to the band, and he and Ronnie would have no doubt written some great tunes together, had they not taken that final flight.

When I hear STREET SURVIVORS, as brilliant as it is, I hear it as the "warm-up" for the greatness they were about to achieve...even though they were already great. They would have been unbeatable. Their '78 album would probably have been their best ever.

[FORD]

You Got That Right has to be one of the coolest Skynyrd tune's of all time. Love the way they trade off vocal's & the break in the middle of the song is killer !!

Yet eerily propehtic with the lyric.... "You won't find me in an old folks home".

Ronnie had made his own predictions about dying before he was 30 and "dying with his boots on". Sadly, he managed to do both.

Funny thing about self-fulfilling prophecies....or actually not so funny.

[78/84 guy]

All the truly great one's seem to leave us a little to early. Would have love to have seen him.

[cadaverdog]

Do ya know who was supposed to be on the plane with them but refused to fly in a plane with a faulty dash board?

No idea.
Uhless you're refering to the story that Aerosmith was going to
buy the plane first but their pilot refused to fly it because he
thought it was unsafe.
I heard they fired him for that even though he was supposedly
working for free.
They should have kissed his ass.