These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This place is more than 50 years old, and figures prominently into Lynyrd Skynyrd history, both past and present. This is a very lengthy, detailed post. "We were lucky that they were not able to pry open the casket. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. privacy policy, by continuing you accept our Rossington, Van Zandt, and Collins were the only founding members left in the band. Rocks Off is a digital collection of stories, articles, and music. Not a train wreck, but a train. The Gaines Effect shook the world when he joined the band during their legendary performance at Knebworth Festival in 1976. Steve Gaines/Age at death. Other fatalities included the band's road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and the pilot, and co-pilot of the aircraft. Some very odd things have occurred with famous ashes, so being the resident morbid person on staff, I've gathered those stories to present them to you. This was reflected in his sole studio album with the band, Street Survivors (1977). Timenote.info, Biedrba, Abinfoserviss 2011-2020, Terms, Phone: +371 67 842135, E-mail: [emailprotected]. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - For more than 10 years, people have wondered where Lynyrd Skynyrd front man Ronnie Van Zant was buried. Gaines, along with Allen Collins and Gary Rossington (who later formed the Rossington Collins Band), came together for what is arguably the best guitar trio in rock music. The remains of Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, lead singer and guitarist for the 1970s rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, have been moved by family members to an undisclosed and private burial site. 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. "Ronnie knew that he was going to die," he said. Van Zant himself realized that Steve Gaines was bringing about a rebirth of the band. Among the six who died were Van Zant, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, and guitarist Steve Gaines. Ever since, the site has served as a shrine for fans, who often leave flowers, guitar picks, an other tokens in tribute to the band members. Judy Jenness, Van Zant's widow, announced the decision in a statement issued through the Clay County Sheriff's Office yesterday. When the tampering was discovered, investigators found Van Zant's coffin on the ground amid broken pieces of marble from the rear wall of a mausoleum. Gaines and Van Zant were 29 years old when they died in the 1977 plane crash. His guitar-picking and songwriting skills were a major revelation to the band, as proven on his one studio album, 1977'sStreet Survivors. How do you calculate working capital for a construction company? The first of three shows recorded for the album was Gaines' third gig with the band. Finally, on May 11, 1976, they gave Steve Gaines a chance. He served with his predecessor at Bellevue and three-time SBC president, Adrian Rogers, on a committee charged with revising The Baptist Faith and Message. Ronnie attended Lee High School in Jacksonville with fellow band members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. Vince Neils Daughter Inspired More Than Just A Song, Rudy Sarzos Tragic Detailing of Randy Rhoads Plane Crash, The 10 Best Bob Dylan Songs That Defined His Career. 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. fishing, seafood, and live music. Just beyond the bridge wall and under the power lines is the train trestle where the main photo for the Nuthin Fancy album was made. They soon formed what would become Lynyrd Skynyrd. However, Kevin Elson, the sound technician, had been listening intently through headphones. The Van Zant family plot at Riverside Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida. The mausoleums at Jacksonville Memorial Gardens in Orange Park will remain there as memorials to Van Zant and Gaines, the Clay County, Fla., Sheriffs office told the Associated Press. Leon Wilkeson, the band's bassist, is buried right across from Van Zant and his family. According to his story, Van Zant had told him to get himself out of there as it was not his time yet. Security manager Gene Odom was seriously burned on his arm and face and lost the sight in one eye as a result of an emergency flare on board the plane that was activated during the crash. Following her death in the 1977 plane crash, Gaines was buried just behind her brother Steve's grave in Jacksonville Memory Gardens. Ronnie Van Zant Ronnie was the lead singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Steve Gaines brought a kind of magic to Lynyrd Skynyrd that no other member quite had He was a great songwriter and singerand an incredible guitarist. Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. Musician. Their father worked for the Illinois Central Railroad and retired in 1976 as a track supervisor. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any material without explicit, written permission from this blog/sites owner is strictly prohibited. Pat Fitzhugh is best known for his extensive research and books about the history, legends, and lore of the American South, and his epic investigations of the paranormal. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. "We are saddened that we had to do this, but we have been left no choice," Jenness said in the statement. He is best known as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter with rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976 until his death in the October 1977 airplane crash that claimed other band members and crew. It's disrespectful.". When not researching cases and sharing his findings on radio and TV, Pat Fitzhugh can be found speaking at paranormal conferences, teaching classes on paranormal research, and leading live, professional investigations of Americas most haunted locations. 7. Musician. Three days after the release of Street Survivors and five dates into their highest selling tour, a tragedy happened. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". What Is The Meaning Of Stairway To Heaven: Led Zeppelins Amazing 1971 Musical Epic? Her mother, also named Cassie Gaines, and father Earl Gaines are buried in adjacent plots and memorialized on the same headstone. Drummer Artimus Pyle said that it seemed Ronnie was aware of his imminent death when they were about to go down. 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. But as the years passed, the songs and sounds of Steve Cropper and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio served as his influence. The Van Zant family plot at Riverside Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida. He dined there often, and the place was only a stones throw from his last home, just off nearby Brickyard Road. (The two musicians were killed in a 1977 plane crash.) The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Steve has two other albums, which are known to be very rare bootleg albums from different record companies:I Know A Little(a collection of live recordings with Crawdad) andOkie Special(a collection of live recordings with Crawdad as well asDetroit). His girlfriend Caroline followed Bators' wishes to be cremated and spread over the grave of Jim Morrison -- except, according to filmmaker John Waters, for the small amount she snorted. Lynyrd Skynyrd was next up, and by 1973 had joined the Allman Brothers as standard bearers for the Southern rock sound. Ronnie Van Zant (1948 1977), born on Woodcrest Street in Westside Jacksonville, was the frontman and founder of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their mausoleums remain as memorials for fans to visit. "And at the family's request, the cemetery will pay off-duty officers to provide additional security as well for the next couple of weeks," she said. Ronnie Van Zants grave at Riverside Memorial Park. Her mother, also named Cassie Gaines, and father Earl Gaines are buried in adjacent plots and memorialized on the same headstone. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Please enter the adress associated with your account. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Steve was the guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. But for the year and a half he played with Lynyrd Skynyrd, they were simply untouchable. Steve Gaines, Septembe. It was here that Ronnie and the band stopped in one afternoon early in their career to have some beer before playing a local dance. This store was the inspiration for The Ballad of Curtis Lowe.. The final resting place of backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steves sister) and their parents, at Jacksonville Memory Gardens. The bag containing Gaines' ashes was broken, and some were spilled. In June 2000, the graves of Van Zant and Steve Gaines were vandalized. Johnny's widow Linda has his actual remains in her keeping. Death Date. Burial. As reported by Rolling Stone, Wilkeson was buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville. And, as one might guess, the lake where Ronnie kept his fishing boat is just to the left. Gaines was born inSeneca, Missouri, and raised inMiami, Oklahoma. Pat Fitzhugh - Author / Researcher / Paranormal Adventurer. Authorities did not speculate on a motive, nor whether the intruders may have been deranged fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd seeking a bizarre memento or simply vandals out for a night of destruction. Don't worry! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In the 1970s Steve played with bands Rio Smokehouse,DetroitwithRusty Day(formerlyThe Detroit Wheels) and Crawdad (a band that Steve had started around 1974). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. He was standing beside a road on the other side of a row of trees separating the cemetery property from the mall. He has now been laid to rest. On October 20, 1977, three days after the albumStreet Survivorswas released (and five dates into the band's most successful tour yet), a plane carrying the band between shows fromGreenville, South CarolinatoBaton Rouge, Louisiana, crashed outside ofGillsburg, Mississippi. Embed from Getty Images. In 1964, when he was just fifteen, he went to see the Beatles live in concert in Kansas City. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. Cassie Gaines/Place of burial. privacy policy. (1964) and Surfari (1967). An amateur guitarist, avid music lover, movie buff and Owner of Rocks Off Magazine. What reasoning is from general to specific? How were Steve and Cassie Gaines related? Laura Nyro: Laura Nyro wrote songs for some of the most popular rock stars of all time before ovarian cancer claimed her in 1997. His family requested supporters to make contributions to the Musician's Assistance Program instead of giving flowers. Whenever you saw him, he was always playing the guitar.. Amy Winehouse: Winehouse is another member of the 27 club who was cremated after her death. Cassie convinced him to drive to Kansas City from his small farm just outside West Seneca, Oklahoma. Thank you for signing up to the Rocks Off. Recently, I explored some of the strange things that musicians have been buried with. According to Louder Sound, a lot of people claimed to have seen a figure dressed in black holding a yellow fishing pole the same color that Ronnie was buried with. Gary Rossington We would be grateful if you would support our work by recording your loved ones, preserving their memory for future generations. . Interestingly, Ed King and Steve Gaines were both born on September 14, 1949. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. A remarkable singer and guitarist, Gaines may have had his initial inspiration from the Beatles. 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. 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. Steve Gaines: Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines was cremated and had his ashes housed not far from the gravesite of fellow Skynyrd member Ronnie Van Zant. Don't have an account yet? However, he had his own vision and in 1974 formed his own band, Crawdad. The intruders may have been frightened off by the first deputy who arrived on the scene shortly after someone telephoned the Sheriff's Office about 3 a.m. and reported hearing unusual noises coming from the cemetery. When the plane crashed, Ronnie Van Zant instantly died due to blunt force trauma to his head. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Per Rolling Stone, the surviving members of the band weren't immediately told about Van Zant's death to allow them to heal from their grave injuries before hearing the devastating news. In June 2000, the graves of Van Zant and Steve Gaines were vandalized. Steve Gaines. In 1988, MCA Records released the recordings Steve Gaines had made with John Ryan (producer) in the album titled One in the . 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. Steven Earl Gaines was born on the 14th of September in 1949 in Miami, Oklahoma. 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. His first band recorded its debut at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, and later bands included RIO Smokehouse and Rusty Day. Apart from this, Gaines had a compilation album of live recordings with Manalive and Crawdad released on CD in 2001 called I Know A Little Live. He also appeared in the 2006 motion picture DVD, An American Haunting, starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland. He is the subject of the 2001 song "Cassie's Brother" by rock bandDrive-By Truckers. She was buried near her children. The ashes of her partner, Maria Desiderio, and their dog Ember were later interred with her. Cochran said he's been trying to see the lot for a couple of months now. ORANGE PARK -- Nearly 23 years after Lynyrd Skynyrd rock singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines were laid to rest at Jacksonville Memory Gardens, vandals broke into a tomb and. 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. Along with another compilation of live recordings with Detroit and Crawdad released as a CD titled Okie Special. He died in his sleep later than night. It does not store any personal data. Winehouse was extremely close with her grandmother Cynthia, who passed away from lung cancer in 2006. (1964) and Surfari (1967). His first band, The Ravens (a local High School rock band that Steve's friends formed), made its first recording at the famousSun RecordsStudio inMemphis, Tennessee. He was 29 yeas old. 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. Steve Gaines' Death - Cause and Date. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. His proficiency in rock, blues, and country music, as well as his desire to widen his scope and vision, may have led to significant pieces of work in the future. There have been a few other minor incidents of vandalism to Van Zant's burial tomb, including the theft in February 1982 of a stone memorial with an inscription by country singer Charlie Daniels. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. So confident was Skynyrd's leader of Steve's abilities that the album (and some concerts) featured Steve delivering his self-penned bluesy "Ain't No Good Life" one of the few songs in the pre-crash Skynyrd catalog to feature a lead vocalist other thanRonnie Van Zant. Others sustained grave injuries but otherwise survived the accident (via Taste of Country). 19741977 He was 28 years old. She was buried near her children. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Steve Gaines, Actor: A Way Back In. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. In 2000, nearly 23 years after Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines were laid to rest at Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park, vandals broke in and disturbed their remains. "At least preliminarily it looks like a very small amount of the cremains may have spilled out of the bag when they pulled it from the urn.". This is the tiny dock behind the former Hell House. The original, older dock is underneath this oneyou can see it from the edge of the creek. The Jug. 28years (19491977) Copyright 2012 by ClickOrlando.com. King left in 1975 and was replaced by Steve Gaines in 1976. Funding for the park and its ongoing operations is provided by The Freebird Foundation. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Sammie Ketcher, a member of two of Gaines early bands recalls. The guys were in shock and the car was silentwell, except for Allen Collins, who started muttering something to the effect of I was cuttin the rug down at a place called the jug. The rest is history. She was buried near her children. This school building is Hyde Park Elementary, where Ronnie Van Zant and some other band members attended when they were kids.