Some of my most cherished concert memories are of a show by Lynyrd Skynyrd about a year before the 10/20/1977 plane crash in Gillsburg Mississippi. They headlined a show at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Ft Worth TX on 11/25/1976. The opening act was Blackfoot and the Climax Blues band was the middle act. Skynyrd were touring for the live album "One more from the road", and the setlist was the same as on that album. They were in fine form and put on a great show. I do remember that some crazed fan tried to make a bonfire out of beercups in the aisle. In those days a large beer was served in paper cups that resembled a milk carton, and he poured lighter fluid on a pile of them. Needless to say, the security and fire dept officials were not amused and arrested him on the spot while putting out the fire. Absolutely the stupidest thing I ever saw someone do at a concert.
Sadly, less than a year later the band were flying in a Convair CV-300 twin prop charter aircraft when it ran out of fuel and crashed in a wooden area near Gillsburg. Ronnie Van Zandt, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines , their tour manager and both pilots were killed. The band was enroute to Baton Rouge LA from Greenville SC when it encountered engine trouble. Normally this airplane can fly on one engine if it's not overloaded. It appears that the co-pilot may have accidentally dumped the remaining fuel while trying to shift fuel from one tank to another during the emergency. It's a wonder that anyone survived. I was at a large house party the night of 10/20/1977 when the radio station announced the crash and deaths. The whole house stayed quiet and subdued the rest of the night. Everyone was shocked and sad..The next night I attended a RUSH concert at Will Rogers auditorium in Ft Worth TX and the band did a moment of silence. Really nice thing to do....
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