http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... ead-at-56/

Billy Powell, the only keyboardist Lynyrd Skynyrd ever had, died last night at his home near Jacksonville, Florida. He was 56. No cause of death has been announced, and a post on the official Synyrd Website reads, “A Great Loss — Beloved Pianist for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, Billy Powell, passed away last night. We will post more info shortly. The family and band request your respect and understanding during this difficult time. Thank you.” The band is canceling upcoming shows and directing fans to its Website for tour updates.

Powell first joined Skynyrd in 1973 after serving as the band’s roadie for a year. His keyboard work features prominently on the band’s debut (pronounced ‘leh-’nerd ’skin-’nerd), with Powell credited for crafting the intro for their epic anthem “Free Bird” (Number 191 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Songs of All Time). After impressing Ronnie Van Zant with his work on the song, Powell was officially invited to join the band, and remained a member from their debut album until 1977’s Street Survivors.

Powell survived the 1977 plane crash that took the lives of singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines and other crew members. Despite suffering injuries including facial lacerations and nearly losing his nose, Powell was the first to be discharged from the hospital and was the only member to attend his bandmates’ funerals. After Skynyrd, Powell joined the Christian rock band Vision, but reunited with Skynyrd after a decade-long hiatus for some concerts in 1989, and ultimately remained with the band until now. In May, Skynyrd played their first-ever gig at New York’s Madison Square Garden with Kid Rock.

Powell and the rest of his Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. With Powell’s death, guitarist Gary Rossington becomes the lone surviving original Skynyrd member.

didn't they all die in a plan crash?

Not many still-going bands out there have endured as many tragedies as Skynyrd. I'm not overly familiar with Skynyrd, but Powell always came across to me as the guy who was the glue of the band. The fact that he was still in the band at this point at least seems to suggest as much. At least he finally gets to see his old friends.

"Powell survived the 1977 plane crash that took the lives of singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines and other crew members."

no, he survived

what if he just died of the plane crash, it was just really delayed?

Looks like Gary Rossington is the only surviving original member left. Ed King, who wrote the Sweet Home Alabama lick, is alive but he wasn't a founding member and left the band before the plane crash (he did play a while when the band returned). Ricky Medlocke, a current guitarist and frontman of Blackfoot, played with them some in the early days, but wasn't considered a founding member either. For that matter, Powell wasn't a founding member either, but he had been with them for as long as anybody other than Rossington.

I hope this means they finally come to an end. The fact they kept going for so long, though, with so many different other musicians was quite a tribute to the memory of those lost over the years. Unfortunately, time has run its course, and they haven't really been Skynyrd for some time now. I'm glad I've gotten to see them play a few times over the years. While it couldn't have ever compared to any of the originial lineups, it was good to see many of their songs played by at least some of the original members.

Skynyrd was badass. They haven't been since the plane crash. I truly believe that they had finally settled on a lineup, and I thought Steve Gaines, of all the members, had really stepped forward as the leader of the band, musically. Ronnie was always the captain of the ship.

The thing that leaves a sour taste in my mouth about the reunions, is that they started to become a pretty regular happening.

I think I remember Rossington having a heart attack or some other kinda serious health scare.

The thing is it started as a reunion, but soon because a full fledged band again that toured and even released new albums. In the beginning their lineup included five or so former members plus Johnny Van Zant. So obviously it wasn't really that bad of a deal that they were playing, but as people died or just left, it became quite a joke.

I believe Artimus Pyle, the drummer beginning in '74, is still around. RIP Billy Powell.

Yeah he is but he got kicked out the band abouts 10 -15 years ago when they discovered he was a paedophile.

& nothing of value was lost

Unfortunately, no.

classy, guys.

I was just going for the cheap insensitive joke. I like me some Skynyrd, but I blame them for Kid Rock, so...