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Billy Powell, born William Norris Powell on June 3rd of 1952 in Corpus Christi, TX, died on January 28 of 2009 at the age of 56 due to an apparent hear attack in his northeast Florida home. Original member and keyboardist to legendary Southern-rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 to 2009, Powell seduced the rock world with his unique sound and skill, as has inspired many piano and organ players that have followed his extensive musical career.

1952-1970

Billy Powell was born to a military family and lived, for a period of his childhood, in Italy where his father, Donald, was stationed with the Navy. Upon his father’s death to cancer in 1960, Powell moved back to Jacksonville, Florida with his mother Marie and siblings Ricky and Donna. Shortly thereafter, Billy developed his interest in music while attending the Sanford Naval Academy in Florida. During his years at the Academy, Powell took piano lessons and learned the theory behind his passion; later switching to Bishop Kenny High School were he met future Lynyrd Skynyrd co-member, Leon Wilkenson.

1970-1977 Powell in Lynyrd Skynyrd

Powell’s history with Lynyrd Skynyrd began after graduating from high school in 1970, when he began work as a roadie for the legendary group – then called One Percent.
Schoolmate Leon Wilkenson joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1972 in replacement to bassist Larry Junstrom, along with Powell who was admitted into the group after impressing Ronny Van Zant with his own introductory version of Skynyrd’s hit song “FreeBird”

Lynyrd Skynyrd went on to sign contract with MCA records and their success soared for the following years with hits like “FreeBird”, “Sweet Home Alabama” and “What’s Your Name.” The band’s unmistakable style was best articulated in albums such as their debut record ‘Pronounced ‘lĕh-’nérd ‘skin-’nérd’, follow-up ‘Second Helping’, live album ‘One more for the Road’ and their most acclaimed title today, ‘Street Survivors’ featuring the rocking guitar performances of Steve Gaines.

The 1977 Tragedy & Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Dissolution

The band toured and impressed with their 3-lead guitar attack and complementary piano harmonics until tragedy spoke on October 20th, 1977 when the Lynyrd Skynyrd’s touring plane crashed on the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana – 3 days after their fifth release. The accident cost the lives of Ronny Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, as well as that of pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot’s William Gray. Billy Powell suffered severe facial lacerations, yet was the first surviving band member to leave the hospital, and the only one able to attend the funeral service that followed the crash.

After the tragedy Lynyrd Skynyrd dissolved, and Billy Powell, along with surviving members Gary Rossington, L. Wilkenson, and Allen Collins formed The Rossington-Collins Band from 1979 to 1982. Later in 1987, Billy briefly joined the Christian rock band called Vision, leaving said group to perform in the ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour’ in 1989.

Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991

After the tour, the band decided to continue the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, reforming in 1991 and recovering the infallible 3-lead guitar attack in 1996 upon the new membership of Hughie Thomasson and Rickey Medlocke.
In spite of going through several line-up changes after the death of members Leon Wilkenson and Hughie Thomasson in 2001 and 2007 respectively, Billy Powell continued his unconditional devotion to Lynyrd Skynyrd and went on with the show until his death in 2009.

Lynyrd Skynyrd performing at the Champlain Valley Expo in Vermont in 1998, on a Steppenwolf tour. (Left to Right) Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Johnny Van Zant, Billy Powell, Gary Rossington and Leon Wilkenson.

Billy Powell Passes On

After a history of heart problems, Billy Powell suffered a heart attack in his Orange Park home on January 28th a little before 1AM. Despite having called 911 for a breathing difficulty and receiving CPR upon paramedics’ arrival, the musician and songwriter was pronounced dead on January 28th, 2009 at 1:52 AM. Due to his medical history, no autopsy was required.

Jonny Van Zant expressed the band’s pain upon Powell’s loss and said upcoming shows in Orlando, Louisiana and Mississippi will be cancelled. “We’ve got to lay our brother to rest,” he said. “That old saying, the show must go on, always counts. Unless you die.”

A man of faith and loyalty and perhaps one of the best and most talented piano players the past will heed, Powell has blessed the world with his music, and marked the blueprint of music history with his talent. Maybe we can hear some of Powell’s music legacy through the guitar work of one of his sons, Brandon, on Syntenic.

He will be missed.

Hi All,

This lesson is how to play guitar like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Its the ‘Freebird’ Intro & Chords. Before we start the video lesson of how to play ‘Freebird’ here is a bit of history of the band for you.

Lynyrd Skynyrd – The Show Must Go On

Lynyrd Skynyrd is a band influenced by rock-blues inspired groups of British music, as well as by their own southern foundations. The American Southern Rock band originated in 1964 in Jacksonville, Florida when Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Allen Collins and Gary Rossington (guitar) formed the group “The Noble Five.” Undergoing several name changes before settling on Lynyrd Skynyrd, the group identified as “My Backyard” when Larry Junstrom (bass) and Bob Burns (drums) joined in 1965, and later as “One Percent” when keyboardist Billy Powell united in 1970. The bands final and current name derives from a mocking homage to Robert E. Lee High School’s gym coach Leonard Skinner who enforced the school’s dress policy that didn’t allow boys to have long hair that would fall below the ear line.

The Discovery

In 1972 bassist Leon Wilkeson joined in replacement of Larry Junstrom and this same year, after playing at a club in Atlanta, Lynyrd Skynyrd was discovered by al Kooper of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears” who signed them to MCA records. Under management of Allen Walden, the band produced their first album the following year, ‘(pronounced ‘lĕh-’nérd ‘skin-’nérd)’ which included the hit song ‘Free Bird’. Eventually reaching #19 in the Billboard Hot 100, the hit is still acclaimed to be a rock & roll hymn to this day.

Rising Success

Lynyrd Skynyrd underwent rising success and gained a solid fan base throughout 1973 and 1974. Releasing their follow-up “Second helping” the group revealed their breakthrough hit ‘Sweet Home Alabama” that placed #8 on the charts. The album itself reached #12, and ultimately went multi-platinum.
They released their third and fourth albums, ‘Nuthin’ Fancy’ and ‘Gimme Back my Bullets’ in 1974 and 1976, respectively. These, however, didn’t achieve as much recognition as the first two had accrued. Having lost guitarist Ed King midway through the tour of ‘Nuthin’ Fancy’, the band needed to recover the 3-guitar lineup that had been their hallmark during their earliest years.
Despite recruiting several high-profile guitarists, it wasn’t until Steve Gaines was auditioned that the band found their missing link. With him aboard, they released their 5th, double live-album ‘One More from the Road’ and toured the UK with the Rolling Stones. Selling half a million records upon release, 1977’s follow-up ‘Street Survivors” proved Gaines’ guitar and songwriting contributions to be the band’s ideal complement.

The Plane Crash

    On October 20th 1977, three days after the release of ‘Street Survivors’ and four dates into the tour of said album, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed close to their destination of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At around 6:42 PM, 2 hours and 42 minutes into the flight, the Convair 240’s engine magneto failed and, after loosing communication with the Houston Center, the aircraft went down 5 miles NE of Gillsburg, Mississippi.
Upon crashing, Pyle, the only ambulatory band member along with two other members of the crew, called for the help of nearby farmer Johnny Mote. Soon after, paramedics and rescue workers arrived at the scene to help the injured and move the dead.
     Out of the 24 passengers on board, the accident claimed the lives of pilot Walter McCreary, co-pilot William Gray, Ronnie VanZant, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, Steve and Cassie Gaines. Allen Collins suffered two cracked vertebrae and severe injuries in his arms. Leon Wilkenson, another surviving band member, sustained a punctured lung and had most of his teeth knocked out. Gary Rossington broke both arms, both legs and his pelvic bone also suffering puncture wounds to his stomach and liver. Billy Powell virtually lost his nose due to severe facial lacerations upon impact and backup singer Leslie Hawkins broke her neck in 3 places, suffering a concussion. Artimus Pyle also endured several exposed fractured ribs.
      The accident brought along some media and public attention, bumping ‘Street Survivors’’ placing up to #5 in the US charts. The group, however, found it a better decision to dissolve and disbanded following the tragedy.

More Tragety

Years after the plane crash, misfortune still seemed to haunt some of the remaining founding members of the group. Collins, who had joined Rossington, Wilkenson and Powell to become ‘The Rossington-Collins Band’ lost his wife and unborn son to internal hemorrhaging and complications during pregnancy. Later, in 1986 he crashed his car costing the life of his girlfriend and also resulting in his complete paralysis from the waist down. Pleading guilty to a charge on DUI manslaughter, he avoided jail time due to his condition. After reuniting with surviving members for a tribute tour, he contracted pneumonia and died on January 23rd 1990.

Supposedly a one time event due to legal band/band name ownership issues, the remaining members kept up with the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour and even settled in continuing the band under the Lynyrd Skynyrd name.

Rickey and Hughie

The band recovered an infallible 3-guitar-lead when Rickey Medlocke and Hughie Thomasson joined in 1996. Medlocke, better known as the lead guitarist and front man of ‘Blackfoot’, had grown up with the founding members of the band and once already been a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1970. In 1971 he left in order to reform ‘Blackfoot’, joining Skynyrd once again 25 years later in replacement of Ed King. Hughie Thomasson, on the other hand, was a former member and main writer of ‘The Outlaws’. When they disbanded in ’96 he joined Lynyrd Skynyrd, where he remained as one of the 3 lead guitars, until 2005 that he left so as to reform his former group “The Outlaws”.

Leon Wilkenson

The group faced death once again when bassist Leon Wilkenson passed away at a Florida hotel due to lung and liver disease in 2001. More recently on the 9th of September 2007, Hughie Thomasson, former member of the band for over 9 years, died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack at the age of 55.
Despite being repeatedly surrounded by loss and misfortune, Lynyrd Skynyrd still manages to transcend, continuing the legacy of their names. Under the lead of original members Gary Rossington and Billy Powell and a little VanZant heritage, the band still records and tours today.