Their mausoleums remain as memorials for fans to visit. Cassie Gaines, the bands backup vocalist, was his older sister. The Jaxson and help keep the future of the Houston Press, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. His first band recorded its debut at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, and later bands included RIO Smokehouse and Rusty Day. Last week, family members established a $5,000 Van Zant and Gaines Reward Fund at Oceanside Bank in Neptune Beach for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. Celebrities Who Died in Plane and Helicopter Crashes, The Rock Road Claims Another Tragic Victim: Ronnie Van Zant of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, The Skynyrd Tragedy Behind Them, Rossington Collins Now Plays 'Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere', Remembering the 59 Slain Victims of the Las Vegas Concert Massacre, 3 Years Later, Heaven's Gate, 25 Years Later: Remembering 38 People Who Died with Cult Leader. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Not a train wreck, but a train. "Due to the June 29th, 2000 vandalization of his original grave site, his casket was moved to this new location and buried in a massive underground concrete burial vault. Portions of the Nirvana front man were scattered in a dozen places, including the muddy banks of the Wishkah River, in various ceremonies. The site. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. The Outlaws and Ghosts of The NatchezTrace, Movie Trailer: The Mark of the BellWitch, "From Turkey Creek A Memoir" Fan Page on Facebook, "Ghostly Cries From Dixie" Fan Page on Facebook, "MORE Ghostly Cries From Dixie" Fan Page on Facebook, "The Bell Witch: The Full Account" Fan Page on Facebook, "The Outlaws and Ghosts of The Natchez Trace" Fan Page on Facebook. This store was the inspiration for The Ballad of Curtis Lowe.. Steve was the guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. After his and Van Zants graves were damaged by vandals in 2000, Gaines family reportedly removed his ashes to a private location. On October 20, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the bands crew were flying to a tour date in Baton Rouge when the plane ran out of fuel and crashed in the Southern Mississippi woods. The subgenre outlived both the Allman Brothers, who broke up in 1976, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, who disbanded after a plane crash in 1977 that took the lives of three members, including frontman Ronnie Van Zant. Leonard Skinner Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Register here, by continue you accept our A woman asked Ronnie to dance, and he obliged. Whilst in Manalive, Gaines was playing with his famous Les Paul Black Beauty, which according to friends never left his side. Their mausoleums remain as memorials for fans to visit. He was the oldest son of six children (3 sisters and 2 brothers - musicians Donnie and Johnny). Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Family members gathered at the cemetery yesterday morning but declined to discuss the incident with reporters. It was on the original dock that Ronnie Van Zant would sit and fish, swat at alligators, and come up with the lyrics to the bands most famous songs. Leslie Hawkins sustained a concussion, broke her neck in three places and had severe facial lacerations. In 2000, nearly 23 years after Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines . His family requested supporters to make contributions to the Musician's Assistance Program instead of giving flowers. The Gaines siblings and Van Zant, along with three members of the group's road crew, were killed in October 1977 when their twin-engine airplane crashed into a Mississippi swamp. Copyright 2012 by ClickOrlando.com. Van Zant was passionate about fishing, and he used it to relax and escape his busy life as a rock star. Ronnie Van Zant often proclaimed that Whiteys Fish Camp was his favorite restaurant. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Only three days later on October 20, tragedy struck when the plane carrying the band crashed in a Mississippi countryside, leaving vocalists Ronnie Van Zant and Cassie Gaines, as well as guitarist Steve Gaines, dead. To me, this was the most somber, heart-wrenching site on my entire trip. 7. Steve Gaines was cremated and buried inOrange Park, Floridain 1977, but was relocated to an undisclosed location after vandals broke into his and bandmateRonnie Van Zant's tombs on June 29, 2000. The street will retain its former name to prevent residents from. The bag containing Gaines' ashes was broken, and some were spilled. He said he used the information he received from the funeral home for Unit 1, Lot 22, spaces 3 and 4 next to a grandfather oak tree. Memorial bench for Ronnie Van Zant at Riverside Memorial Park. The Surprising Thing Ronnie Van Zant Is Buried With. Don't have an account yet? With an audience of approximately 150,000 and 200,000 people, Lynyrd Skynyrd delivered a performance that took the southern rock artiststo new heights. This is that day. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Arguably the first true Southern rock group, the Allman Brothers Band, formed following a jam at a Riverside home known as the Gray House. Born (Birthday) Sep 14, 1949. Steve's contributions included his co-lead vocal with Ronnie on the co-written "You've Got That Right" (a solid hit single released after the plane crash) and the rousing guitar boogie "I Know A Little" which he had written before he joined Skynyrd. "We were lucky that they were not able to pry open the casket. Gaines was cremated and his ashes were buried in Orange Park, Florida in 1977, but were relocated to an undisclosed location after vandals broke into his and bandmate Ronnie Van Zant's tombs on June 29, 2000. Ronnie grabbed a pillow from the back of the plane, walked back to his seat, and smiled at Pyle. Steve Gaines. Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. His two brothers also became notable Southern rock musicians: Donnie Van Zant was a member of fellow Jacksonville band 38 Special, while Johnny became lead singer for the reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987. "They don't understand why, after almost 23 years, anybody would go to this extent to do something like this.". The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". He died in his sleep later than night. In a bizarre twist to the case, 40-year-old David Jennings of Jacksonville was arrested and charged early Monday with damaging a temporary, plywood wall on the rear of Van Zant's Mausoleum, Justino said. "I had never seen it," said Marsh, who was trying to snap pictures of the tomb as deputies shooed her and Carpenter away. Cassie and Steve Gaines were buried in Orange Park, Florida. . The gravesite is on the border of mall and cemetery property, an elaborate memorial of marble set off from the rest of the cemetery, with park benches, hedges and a large magnolia tree. They and their music have always played a big role in my life. It was Steve Gainess only solo album. A lonesome railroad track runs through a rural area between Middleburg, Florida, and Doctors lake, in the Brickyard community, where Ronnie Van Zant started a family and spent his last years. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The rock star is buried at Riverside Memorial Park,according to WJXT-TV. A plastic bag containing Gaines' cremated ashes and an urn also were found nearby, said Mary Justino of the Sheriff's Office. On February 15, 1979, the mother of Steve and Cassie, also named Cassie LaRue Gaines, was killed in an automobile accident near the cemetery where Steve and Cassie are buried. Steven Earl "Steve" Gaines(September 14, 1949 October 20, 1977) was an American musician. ", The new burial sites, Justino said, "will not be disclosed for security reasons.". We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Joe Carpenter had traveled from Bradenton to Orange Park to show his girlfriend, Jenney Marsh, Van Zant's grave yesterday. Burial. 10. He is the subject of the 2001 song "Cassie's Brother" by rock band Drive-By Truckers. privacy policy. Winehouse was extremely close with her grandmother Cynthia, who passed away from lung cancer in 2006. A block up Woodcrest from the Van Zant house is the former Woodcrest Grocery, where Ronnie worked as a kid and also sat out front listening to older men (including Shorty Medlocke, Rickys father) play and sing the blues. Like Van Zant had forecasted that the band would be under the shadow of Gaines one day, it is sad we never got to experience it. And, as one might guess, the lake where Ronnie kept his fishing boat is just to the left. She was buried near her children. Burns left and was replaced by Artimus Pyle in 1974. Van Zant's family decided to relocate his remains to Riverside Memorial Park cemetery in Jacksonville. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Drummer Artimus Pyle said that it seemed Ronnie was aware of his imminent death when they were about to go down. Steve Gaines, Septembe. Its where part of the 1970s Pepsi Cola Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute video was shot. Shortly after, he had started his first high school band, The Ravens. But for the year and a half he played with Lynyrd Skynyrd, they were simply untouchable. Gaines was cremated and his ashes were buried in Orange Park, Florida in 1977, but were relocated to an undisclosed location after vandals broke into his and bandmate Ronnie Van Zants tombs on June 29, 2000. Getty Images. Following her death in the 1977 plane crash, Gaines was buried just behind her brother Steves grave in Jacksonville Memory Gardens. Van Zant's nephew, Ronnie Morris of Jacksonville, said yesterday he was speechless upon hearing the news. Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. Both Cassie and Steve Gaines lost their lives in the crash as well as Ronnie Van Zant. Other fatalities included the band's road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and the pilot, and co-pilot of the aircraft. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Sky Michele written and performed by Jake Fisher (MidniteliteCo) with a beautiful tribute and moving piece to Steve and Cassie Gaines. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Other successful bands to emerge from Jacksonvilles fertile scene at this time included Cowboy, Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, and 38 Special. Finally, on May 11, 1976, they gave Steve Gaines a chance. What reasoning is from general to specific? Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. from the fact that the carbon contained in the fish caught is released as CO 2 into the atmosphere instead of remaining buried in the seabed," the researchers said. Gaines was born inSeneca, Missouri, and raised inMiami, Oklahoma. We cannot record everything. He was standing beside a road on the other side of a row of trees separating the cemetery property from the mall. How many children does Steve Gaines have? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. His guitar-picking and songwriting skills were a major revelation to the band, as proven on his one studio album, 1977'sStreet Survivors. On February 15, 1979, the mother of Steve and Cassie, also named Cassie LaRue Gaines, was killed in an automobile accident near the cemetery where Steve and Cassie are buried. In 2000, their graves were. . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Prior to the show, members of the band told the sound technician that, Cassies brother is going to come up and play with us, if he does not have the level, unplug him.. At 1:30 p.m., Steve and Cassie Gaines' childhood street in Miami, Circle Drive, will be co-named Gaines Drive in their honor. In the not-too-distant past, I created and took a self-guided tour of the various sites associated with the Lynyrd Skynyrd band. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Justino said a heavy object evidently had been used to shatter the stone wall on the front of the marble mausoleum containing Van Zant's casket. Steve used a Fender Standard Stratocaster as his main guitar when playing with Lynyrd Skynyrd and can be seen in this source image with one from a live performance. TheJaxsonMag.com The first of three shows recorded for the album was Gaines' third gig with the band. (1964) and Surfari (1967). 5. Among the six who died were Van Zant, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, and guitarist Steve Gaines. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. As of yesterday, donations from fans had increased the reward to $22,000. Cassie Gaines (1948 1977) joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1975 as a backup singer, one of a trio of gospel vocalists dubbed the Honkettes. Clay County Sheriff's deputies found Van Zant's unopened casket on the ground about 3 a.m. at the rear of a marble mausoleum on the northern edge of the cemetery grounds next to the Orange Park Mall on Blanding Boulevard. His experience in the field spans nearly four decades. The rest is history. We've got a gig to do." Green Cove Springs, FL. He was an actor, known for A Way Back In (2010), Locked in! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Our content aims to be informative and entertaining, often discussing the lesser-known moments in history. Cassie convinced him to drive to Kansas City from his small farm just outside West Seneca, Oklahoma. The ash remains of Cassie Gaines, Steve Gaines' sister and a vocalist with the band, were undisturbed. "It was broken into about six large pieces found on the ground," she said. It is about a hundred yards down the creek from Hell House, the bands official writing and rehearsal studio. Southern rock was born in Jacksonville in the 1960s as a new fusion of rock, blues progressions, and a heavy dose of Southern grit. Steve Gaines, Actor: A Way Back In. 28 years. When Steve was 15 years old, he sawThe Beatleslive in Kansas City. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Two weeks later, Steve Gaines received a phone call from Ronnie Van Zant inviting him to join the band.