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Who was Steve Gaines?
Steve Gaines was an American musician who rose to fame as a guitarist and backing vocalist for the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He joined the band in 1976, after his sister Cassie Gaines, who was a backup singer for the band, recommended him. He impressed the band members with his guitar skills and songwriting abilities, and contributed to their live album One More from the Road and their studio album Street Survivors. He was also a solo artist who recorded several songs with his own band Crawdad, which were released posthumously as One in the Sun.
What caused Steve Gaines’ death?
Steve Gaines died on October 20, 1977, in a tragic plane crash that also killed his sister Cassie, the band’s lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and the two pilots. The band was flying from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a concert, when their Convair CV-240 ran out of fuel and crashed in a wooded area near Gillsburg, Mississippi. According to AllMusic, Gaines survived the initial impact but bled to death while waiting for rescue. He was only 28 years old.
How did Steve Gaines’ death affect Lynyrd Skynyrd and the music industry?
Steve Gaines’ death was a devastating blow to Lynyrd Skynyrd and the music industry. The band had just released their most successful album, Street Survivors, which featured Gaines’ co-written hit song “I Know a Little”. The album cover showed the band members engulfed in flames, which became eerily prophetic after the crash. The band decided to withdraw the cover and replace it with a plain black background. The band also canceled their tour and disbanded for a decade, until they reunited in 1987 with new members.
Steve Gaines’ death also marked the end of an era for Southern rock, a genre that he helped define with his distinctive style and sound. He was widely regarded as one of the best guitarists of his generation, and influenced many other musicians who admired his talent and charisma. His legacy lives on in his music, which continues to inspire and entertain fans around the world.
