THREE DAYS AFTER THEIR NEW ALBUM CAME OUT, LYNYRD SKYNYRD FELL OUT OF THE SKY. On October 20, 1977, the plane went down near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant was gone. Steve Gaines was gone. Cassie Gaines was gone. The band that had given the world “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama” suddenly became a wreckage site. For ten years, that name felt almost too heavy to say out loud. Then Johnny Van Zant stepped forward. Not a replacement. Ronnie’s younger brother. In 1987, he stood where his brother once stood and began singing songs that already belonged to ghosts. Every night, “Free Bird” was more than a finale. It was a family wound with guitars around it. The crowd still raised their hands. The flag still waved. The name Lynyrd Skynyrd stayed on the marquee. But everyone knew the truth. Johnny wasn’t just keeping a band alive. He was answering for a brother who never made it home.
Three Days After Their New Album Came Out, Lynyrd Skynyrd Fell Out of the Sky In October 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd…