It was 45 years ago  (October 20th, 1977), that a plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed in a swamp near Gillsburg, Mississippi. At the time, the group was en route to its next show in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The crash took the lives of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant; guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister, backup singer Cassie Gaines; Skynyrd manager Dean Kilpatrick, as well as the plane's two pilots Walter McCreary and William Gray.

Marc Frank of Spartanburg, one of Lynyrd's Skynyrd's road crew was on the plane and one of the 20 survivors, he talked with me a few years ago about his story.

Three days before the crash (October 17th), the band released its fifth album, Street Survivors, which featured the soon-to-be classics "What's Your Name" and "That Smell." The album cover, which featured the band seemingly engulfed in flames, was eventually substituted with another photo in light of the horrific plane crash. In 2007, the 30th anniversary reissue reinstated the original album cover.

For more info on the plane crash, check this out: 

http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/LynyrdSkynyrd-N55VM.htm

http://www.tennesseeconcerts.com/planecrash

http://www.gendisasters.com/mississippi/1416/gillsburg-ms-plane-crash-ki...

http://www.lynyrdskynyrdhistory.com/