R.I.P. Billy Powell - Piano Player for Lynyrd Skynyrd

R.I.P. Billy Powell
Piano/Keyboard
June 3, 1952 - January 28, 2009

Billy Powell passed away yesterday morning. Another Rock & Roll legend has joined those that "belong to the ages."

Billy started taking piano lessons as a young boy. He was such a natural that his instructor stated that she was not needed. He was that good. After starting high school in Jacksonville, FL, Billy was introduced to a young fella by the name of Leon Wilkeson. After he was done with high school, Billy enrolled in a local community college where he majored in music theory. He played music with some local groups and was also did work as a roadie for an up and coming band called Lynyrd Skynyrd for about two years.

One night while with the band members, Billy sat down at a piano and played a piano rendition of a song that Skynyrd had been playing called "Freebird." After hearing Powell do his thing on the keys, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant said, "You mean to tell me, you've been playing the piano like that and you've been workin' for us for (over) a year?" Billy replied, "Well, you know, I've been classically trained most of my life." He was then informed that not only had they been searching for someone to play the keys, but that they felt he was the man for the job. Not long afterward, Lynyrd Skynyrd hit it big and soon became a household name. From 1973 until 1977, Powell and the rest of the Skynyrd boys blazed a musical trail across the world, becoming a planet wide sensation as they brought their brand of southern rock to the masses.

It all came crashing down, literally, as the band was involved in a fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of their newest guitar player, Steve Gaines, and the leader/front man for the group, Ronnie Van Zant. Billy suffered severe facial lacerations, almost completely losing his nose but was otherwise relatively uninjured. He was the first released from the hospital and was the only member of the band able to attend the funerals of the fallen.

In the first decade following the crash, Billy briefly joined a Christian rock band named Vision. Powell often spoke during the concerts about his newly found faith in Jesus Christ. He still claimed Christ as his Lord and Savior at the time of his passing.

In 1987, the surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd went on tour with some former members who were not with the band at the time of the crash, and with Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother Johnny on vocals. The tour went fairly well and the group continued to tour up through January 2009.

Since 1987, nearly all of the members of the original group have passed away. The group that has gone on with the name Lynyrd Skynyrd is far from the real thing without Ronnie's direction and guidance, but for whatever reason, Billy and original guitarist Gary Rossington have contributed to the tribute band since 1987.

Billy Powell suffered what is believed to have been a heart attack yesterday morning shortly after 12:00 AM. He was pronounced dead at 1:52 AM. He is survived by his wife, Ellen, and his son, Brandon.

Billy was a legend and had a legendary story to tell. Today, he is hopefully reunited with all those Skynyrd members who have already gone on. In remembering Billy Powell, we also take a moment to reflect on those other friends who have left this world.

Ronnie Van Zant - Lead Vocals
January 15, 1948 - October 20, 1977

Steve Gaines - Guitar
September 14, 1949 - October 20, 1977

Allen Collins - Guitar
July 19, 1952 - January 23, 1990

Allen died from complications of an automobile accident that occured in 1986.

Leon Wilkeson - Bass
April 2, 1952 - July 27, 2001

Leon had apparently been suffering from chronic liver and lung disease; the cause of death was deemed 'from natural causes.'

The surviving members of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd band are: Gary Rossington - guitar, Ed King - guitar, Bob Burns - drums, Artimus Pyle - drums.

Billy Powell in 2003. The last time I saw him perform in person.