cassie gaines cause of death

So, with little hesitation I decided I should join the dance. The choppers belonged to the Coast Guard, National Guard and Forrest County General Hospital, who were doing their best to ferry people in, and illuminate the crash site. In 1995, while on assignment in Phunket Thailand for the Times-Picayune's series "Oceans of Trouble," I boarded a small fantail fishing boat on the edges of the Andaman Sea with writer John McQuaid to photograph the disappearing mangroves. Mote fired a warning shot in the air. Artimus Pyle was also notoriously outspoken against the plane and on several occasions would take buses to shows. He suffered a heart attack . He had already finished a film about the plane crash when Gary and several others stepped in and placed a lawsuit against the film to not be shown to the public. The location sounded familiar so he asked them to repeat. His wife, Lola, and my wife grew up together. Soon after the plane would begin to jerk and shake violently. Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. (Photo by Ted Jackson). Van Zant himself "loathed flying," as Rolling Stone. Small and cramped, it still felt better than lift-off of the Convair CV-240. The news was shocking -- a plane crash near my hometown of McComb, Miss. How did Cassie Gaines get in Lynyrd Skynyrd? She was famous for being part of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. "I've been coming for years," he said, "and I've never met anyone who was here that night. The pilots would have to make an emergency landing. In the beginning, the singer was reluctant to board the aircraft and had already bought another commercial flight ticket. Over the ridge, a World War II vintage Willis Jeep crawled down a dusty logging trail. But I couldn't stand it any longer. Her brother was Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines. The plane killed three band members (Ronnie Van Zant, Cassie, Steve Gaines) and Dean Kilpatrick (assistant road manager), Walter McCreary (pilot), and William Gray (co-pilot). "They seemed to be chasing him, trying to flag him down. She was requested to join the band as a backing vocalist. Members of the band that survived the crash said that Cassie actually . Artimus Pyle was also notoriously outspoken against the plane and on several occasions would take buses to shows. Terror soon engulfed the cabin of the plane and the pilots were frantically trying to radio local Houston Air Traffic Control, stating they had a fuel issue and were most likely going to have to make a emergency landing. He was known as Papa Ronnie. I didn't know where this was going. The medical examiner reported that Wilkeson suffered from liver and lung disease at the time of his death. Although Steven Tyler and Joe Perry had insisted that they charter the plane, ultimately it was not signed to the band. I'm from southern Thailand. ", "There were plenty of old boys standing around here. Gene Odom had been thrown from the plane and broke his neck, his skin badly burned and one eye blinded by phosphorus from a de-icing flare that had been aboard. Ultimate Classic Rock What Happened to the Survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash? 100+ love and trust messages for her to rekindle the passion, 100+ miss you sister quotes, messages, and texts to show your love, EU parliament chief urges Ukraine membership talks this year, UN chief condemns rich countries 'vicious' tactics against poor, Meet Empress Esi the 13-year-old GH girl building schools and giving joy to the needy through her foundation, Christian Atsu's family releases date, venue and other details about his final funeral rites, "Beauty and talent": Gorgeous young lady displays exceptional drumming skills in church, viral video melts hearts, What teams have never been to the super bowl. Rudge chartered three planes for loved ones to identify the bodies. Four of the passengers were killed including bandleader and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines and assistant tour manager Dean Kilpatrick. Then on the other side, it was Allen in the middle of Dean and Cassie. Minutes later he was guiding an ambulance through an overgrown trail. Its many hit songs include "Freebird," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Gimme Three Steps" and "Simple Man.". She was sick and would meet up with the band in Arkansas to continue the tour. But one thing I'm proud of. They all died but we didnt. Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. It sounded great to us. News had spread about the crash and before too long an estimated 3,000 people had swarmed to the crash site. A tragic scene no person would ever wish to see or soon forget. All of the seats were ripped from the frame of the plane, landing in the front section of the crash. There were 24 passengers and two crew members aboard the aircraft. Headline from a local newspaper reporting the crash. Without wanting to cause alarm he thought to himself that maybe the pilots were trying to transfer fuel from one engine to another. I'd deal with that later. "It was stuff I'd been trained to do," he said. Both brother and sister were killed in the airplane crash that also took the life of Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Daisy Jones & the Six becomes the first fictional band to hit No. Road crew member Steve Lawler, who suffered severe contusions and facial lacerations, was taken to the hospital in a pickup with a camper top. Last of the two surviving original member of the band, Gary Rossington, with Johnny Van Zant to his left and guitarist Rickey Medlocke to the right. It was Steve, and me, and Ronnie and I was in the middle of them. Suffocating the people on the bottom from the sheer weight. Dwain Easley still lives on the east side of the crash site. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. As soon as it seemed that the worst of the flight was passing, the true nightmare was about to set in for Lynyrd Skynyrd and the crew aboard. All reality had been broken and none of the surviving members would ever be the same or view life the same again. ", "He came home covered in blood," said his wife, Lola. Even though she survived the actual crash, she eventually bled to death before the rescue team could reach her. As he looked around the scene, his mind went back. When the group asked Ronnies father how he was, he simply replied Hes fine. Rescue vehicles on the ground found no direct path in sight. However, other band members convinced her otherwise. The band has asked that fans wishing to remember Wilkeson do so through the Musician's Assistance Program, which assists musicians and industry professionals seeking treatment for addiction. The rest of the group had no idea at the time that they would never see the face of Ronnie again. "I was well prepared with advanced trauma life support training," he said, "and (I was) a flight surgeon in the military. He later caused a controversy by giving a lurid account of Cassie Gaines' final moments on a VH1 Behind The Music special about the band, claiming that the backing singer's throat was cut from ear to ear and that she bled to death in his arms. Some of the guys were playing poker. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Wilkeson would play in both Rossington Collins Band and the Allen Collins band. The reason behind this? The single "What's Your Name" reached #13 on the single airplay charts in January of 1978. The plane had completely disintegrated. Billy Powell, the bands keyboardist, received extensive facial lacerations and a broken right knee. ", "I expected to see all dead people looking at these woods. The album would go through several cover changes and would mark a new era for the guys. Another 20 were injured, which included keyboardist Billy Powell, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, drummer Artimus Pyle and bassist Leon Wilkeson. Pianist Billy Powell survived, but his nose was nearly torn off and he suffered severe facial lacerations. Everyone on the flight, except for Ronnie Van Zant, was feeling uneasy and restless. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. But not all had the intentions of lending a helping hand. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. His post noted that he and many others had made pilgrimages for years to the site to pay their respects. In addition to his fractured ribcage, Artimus Pyle was treated for numerous abrasions and contusions. I was not there to be a gawker or to get in the way. Sadly, the band would not make it to Baton Rouge and the plane had been pushed one flight too many. Since Cassie was not aware of the band's existence at that time, Jojo offered her a copy of Lynyrd Skynyrd's first two albums to make her acquainted with the band's work. "New Orleans is a southern city. Mike Rounsaville also arrived in the jeep with Dr. Lewis. Mote hopped into his pick-up to get back to his house, told his wife to get back in the house, then proceeded to grab his gun and stand guard. They all died but we didnt. Crying, praying, and counting the dead to see who they would never hug, play music with, and enjoy company with again. We beat patterns into our dashboards drumming out the beat. Mote was putting out square bales of hay for the cattle when he heard what sounded "like a car crash on a gravel road." The pilots would have to make an emergency landing. As they, too, were succumbing to the sub-par standards of the plane and crew. Two bulldozers were dispatched to plow a primitive path off nearby Highway 568 in order to give a ground path available to the first responders. Natural causes were to blame. Band members Artimus Pyle and Billy Powell entered the cockpit to get an idea of what was happening. ", "I never cared about flying in an airplane," he said. Lynyrd Skynyrd stops for a shot in 1973. "He (Mote) ran in the door saying, 'Ya'll get down on the floor, there's escaped convicts out there," Martin remembers. Cassie Gaines was born on January 9, 1948 and died on October 20, 1977. But sadly when he drank, which was quite often, his demeanor and character qualities changed drastically. In 1977, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Stevie Gaines and Gaines sister, Cassie Gaines, were killed in a plane crash. Your IP: After claiming his deceased son, Lacy Van Zant went to visit the other members of the band at the hospital. I threw it in reverse and plowed into my mother-in-law's car. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. He had been impaled by a part of the fuselage and it pushed through his body and projected out of his back. Soon after the plane would begin to jerk and shake violently. These combinations of poorly built aircraft and less than acceptable crew quickly led to the dismissal of the band leasing out their services. The two men, for a while, were the only able-bodied persons present to help pull people from the wreckage. Leon Wilkeson, their bass player, had arguably the most harrowing recovery; as he faced many internal injuries, dislodged teeth, and a broken left arm and leg, and his heart stopped twice on the operating table while doctors frantically struggled to keep him alive. But we were both enjoying it. Everyone just stood there helpless. A Convair CV-240. He is best known as a guitarist and backing vocalist with rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976 until his death in the October 1977 airplane crash that claimed other band members and crew. Some blame it on the planes age and poor design, weighing in on its smaller fuselage and compact wingspan. A plane crash left lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt, lead guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines dead. "Why, yes I do," I said, thinking about my roots, my old buddies and the high school dances. Leon Wilkeson, their bass player, had arguably the most harrowing recovery; as he faced many internal injuries, dislodged teeth, and a broken left arm and leg, and his heart stopped twice on the operating table while doctors frantically struggled to keep him alive. Most of the 20 survivors were taken to Southwest Regional Medical Center in McComb, where the lobby had been transformed into a makeshift emergency treatment center to quickly deal with the onslaught of plane crash victims. Gene Odom, Lynyrd Skynyrds bodyguard, recalls: They took my watch, my wallet, my ring, and my money as I lay bleeding on the ground. There are just too few physical landmarks. The three injured men hiked some distance from the crash site, through swampy woods, and finally flagged down farmer Johnny Mote, who had come to investigate. 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"Folks were all mashed together. Leon Wilkeson and Billy Powell would both go on to pursue other musical ventures and both have a hand in several Lynyrd Skynyrd re-boots. Tuesday October 20, 2015 marked the 38th anniversary and drew several veterans from the night of the crash. He, like me, was 21-years-old at the time. She died from excessive bleeding as her throat had been cut from ear to ear. Willing to lend a hand and stick by his bandmates, he was hard to beat when standing by your side. Birth Name: Cassie LaRue Gaines Occupation: Rock Singer Place Of Birth: Missouri Date Of Birth: January 9, 1948 Date Of Death: October 20, 1977 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: White Nationality: American Cassie Gaines was born on the 9th of January, 1948. His luck, however, was on the short end of the stick as he would have his throat slit while on the Lynyrd Skynyrd tour bus in the early 90s. That farm belonged to a young dairy farmer named Johnny Mote. Photo: Uncle Johns Bathroom Reader. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. For another crash scene veteran, this was also his first return visit in 38 years. Ronnie had died instantly upon impact, his head slamming into a tree. Crying, praying, and counting the dead to see who they would never hug, play music with, and enjoy company with again. Making the original release cover more valuable to collectors than the second cover released just a few weeks after the album hit the shelves. Cassie Gaines was a talented and committed backup singer for the Lynard Skynyrd music band until she died in a plane crash. Billy had taken too long on his intro to the song Free Bird and that didnt set well with Ronnie. The album would reach gold in ten days after release and it would eventually go double platinum. Losing daylight, the pilots desperately looked for an open field or some kind of saving grace. Her mother passed away on 15th February 1979 in a car accident. The band was reaching fever pitch with its fans across the South and the nation. He says he first came in the 80s after he graduated. Powells nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. That's when Mote connected the dots with the noise he had heard earlier. As the Houston Press reports, the crash took Van Zant's life, as well as the lives of band member Steve Gaines and his sister, backup singer Cassie; and Dean Kilpatrick, the assistant road manager. Here are 10 facts about Lynyrd Skynyrd and their fateful end. According to an interview in the book Freebirds, Billingsley had dreamed of the plane crash and begged Allen Collins by telephone not to continue using the Convair. Mote recalls the first thing he saw was a bloody hand sticking out from the wreckage. Small and cramped, it still felt better than lift-off of the Convair CV-240. The 22-year-old had been outside bailing hay in the twilight when he heard the crash in the distance, which he assumed was a car skidding in gravel. But after seeing helicopter searchlights, he started to assume it was a jailbreak instead. You all just better get some rest. Dan Barnes recalls saying This man had just been to the funeral home and seen his son dead and decided to keep that to himself for these guys to heal. "But using a phone out here is worthless," he said, and even with his expertise, he had trouble finding the exact spot of the crash site. On 20th October 1977, the Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after their performance in Greenville, South Carolina. And to Brenda's point, he's writing a book. The flight was going good so far and other than Ronnie getting severely intoxicated while on the flight, all seemed to be setting up to be another routine flight. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Ronnies mother Marion refused to make the flight, after seeing a horrific plane crash of her own that killed 9 people. In 1982 he would form the Allen Collins band but shortly after would wreck his new Ford Thunderbird, killing his then girlfriend and paralyzing Collins. Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album, and was the #5 top selling album on the U.S. album chart. After I led him to the downtown McComb offices, I returned home, developed my film in a clumsy bathroom darkroom and went to sleep. He smiled broadly and said, "Turn it up! The tail section broke off, the cockpit broke off and buckled underneath, then both wings broke off. TBS - Movies for Guys Who Like Movies Bumper - The Jerk - 1996, TBS - Dinner & A Movie - Urban Cowboy Promo - 1995, TBS - Movies for Guys Who Like Movies - Running Scared Promo - 1995. And then we heard voices. Aerosmith's touring family was also relieved because the band, specifically Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, had been trying to pressure their management into renting that specific plane. "May the free bird fly on," read one message. "Steve was at the peak of his career. I couldn't stand it. I worked the scene for about 30 minutes before a veteran photographer approached me and asked if I knew where the local paper "The Enterprise Journal" was located. read another typical message of mourning. I told him that it was the strongest thing I had seen a man do.. Ronnie Van Zant, drunk and laying in the middle of the aisle, simply pulled himself together, sat up, and quietly chose a seat up front. In Genes interview, he mentions that he ran to the cock pit and to alert the pilots of the exploded engine and their response was Nothins wrong. The crash killed singer/songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2fad0cc830fa72 He had hunted squirrels along that very ridge. She said her husband grabbed his .243 hunting rifle, ran out and fired a warning shot. Photo: hu.wikipedia.com. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. The Convair 240 itself had been inspected by members of Aerosmith's flight crew for possible use in the early summer of 1977, but was rejected because it was felt that neither the plane nor the crew were up to standards. Circa 1975, Singers Cassie Gaines , Leslie Hawkins and Jo Jo Billingsley of the American rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1970s. My younger brother and I banged out "Freebird" on a cheap set of drums in our bedroom. As we walked through the woods, Governor and I agree that nothing looked or felt the same. What happened to the Menendez brothers' money? Marc Frank recalled hearing both engines on the plane then within a matter of minutes, just air passing over the cabin. Terror soon engulfed the cabin of the plane and the pilots were frantically trying to radio local Houston Air Traffic Control, stating they had a fuel issue and were most likely going to have to make a emergency landing. She was born on 9th January 1948 in Missouri, USA. He was a walking treasure trove of names, facts and figures. "Are you writing a book?" The reason behind this? In the ensuing chaos, souvenir hunters took billfolds, jewelry, suitcases, band merchandise and even chunks of metal from the crash site. He had known Easley Creek since his youth. Marc Frank, a 24-year-old roadie traveling with the band, noticed what seemed to be fuel spewing from the right engine. Allen Collins kept moving on, eventually getting together with Gary Rossington to form the Rossington Collins Band. He could see the circling helicopter from his back yard. he said, barely able to get his English to suit his thoughts. In addition to his fractured ribcage, Artimus Pyle was treated for numerous abrasions and contusions. After claiming his deceased son, Lacy Van Zant went to visit the other members of the band at the hospital. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. With that cue, Governor took the honors and introduced everyone as Gabel's mouth gaped in disbelief. Artimus Pyle once said they were flying in a plane that he believed belonged to the Clampett family (they were the family from the Beverly Hillbillies, a family notorious for using pieced together equipment.). The accident essentially destroyed one of the unique voices of American rock and roll. The fuselage turned sideways, and everybody was hurled forward.. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Gary continues on the band with Ronnies brother, Johnny Van Zant, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke. Victims were taken to the hospital in McComb, Mississippi by ambulances and other vehicles. Allen Collins, another guitar player for the group, had cracked two vertebrae, and the cut to his right arm was so severe, that it almost required amputation. The band has sold an estimated 35 million records. A towering beech tree stands sentinel on the west side of the creek, carefully carved with scores of knurled epithets. The plane had a thinner fuselage and smaller wingspan than any of its kind at the time. Contributing to the fuel exhaustion were inadequate flight planning and an engine malfunction of undetermined nature in the engine which resulted in higher than normal fuel consumption.". Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. At the time of her death, she was 29 years old. The band got its name as a way of mocking Leonard Skinner, a gym coach at Robert E. Lee High School known for punishing his long-haired students specifically band co-founders Gary Rossington and Bob Burns. The site is hard to access. "From there, we followed the lights of the helicopter," he said. Leslie Hawkins sustained a concussion, broke her neck in three places and had severe facial lacerations.