[Lightfoot]

Though he wasn't a prominent member after he left the band in 1975, he did co-write the band’s classic song ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ And those are his guitar licks you hear on the studio record.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/582591372...#sp=show-clips

Only Gary Rossington and Artimus Pyle are left.

[TAKerry]

I loved Skynyrd, I played in a band late 70's and we did a lot of their music. Not quite a cover band though. One thing I didn't know about him, he was a founding member of "strawberry alarm clock". My son whom is a guitar aficionado, quasi rock historian told me that he just sold a very valuable les paul a few months ago. I saw Rossington Collins band a few times but never had the pleasure to see Skynyrd live. I wont do the new stuff, im a traditionalist and to me they were not the real band. Funny story, I went to hs with a guy whose B.I.L. swore he knew the band. We all thought he was full of $%#! A few years after graduation he started putting together reunion tours, even brought them to our own pissy little town for a "southern rock Woodstock". Turns out the guy grew up with them in FLA and he did know them.

[shaker455]

I liked Ed and saw these guy's a million times!
I remember when they did there unplugged record Endangered Species and when they toured no Ed....
I was up front so I asked where he was and they would not say.
Apparently health issues and they quickly replaced him.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Ed King had been fighting congestive heart failure for years. Another great musician gone.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Ed was the only member back then who wasn't from "the South"
But he WAS from South-ern California , so he got accepted through a loop-hole clause.
something like that

On the "One more From the Road" double-live album VanZant introduced Steve Gaines as a new member of the band
(replacing Ed -unsaid) during the intro on the T-for-Texas song.
Gaines of Oklahoma - got accepted on the "okie from muskogee" loop-hole clause.

Saw them in Greensboro NC in 77 , just a month or two before the plane crash.
(Nazareth opened)

Again in Greensboro NC in 87 on the 10 Year ReUnion tour -
and I'm thinking Ed King rejoined for that tour.
(Rossington-Collins opened)

Peace be with his Family and Friends

Only Gary Rossington and Artimus Pyle are left.

Rossington basically despised Artimus Pyle after the crash and was so sour and vocal about it - he probably still does.
I think Billy Powell Piano Man joined the Anti-Artimus effort also.
sad shame

Artimus came through crash in better shape than anyone else.
His claim was that he left the site in search for help for the others who were either dead or dying - versus being able to do nothing for them and just sitting there watching. By luck he did find a house.

Rossi claims Artimus was just scared to death and running for his own life - leaving everybody else behind to die.
Life is strange in a big Rock Band.

I doubt Artimus went trekking out in the dark just to find a drink of water and a soft pillow.
But probably was scared plus whatever other emotions come forth after knowing you're going to crash - then the visual aftermath.

[Lightfoot]

I became a retro fan after seeing a documentary around the 20th anniversary of the plane crash. I always liked their music from the time Street Survivors came out, but just never bothered learning anything about the band members.

That documentary piqued my interest and I've since read some articles and watched lots of interviews with Pyle, Rossington and Powell. Artimus comes across to me as an extremely decent person. I doubt he would embelish (sp) on what happened the night of the crash. He was the most level headed one of the group, from what I've read.

[MCronkGTO]

I was and am still a Southern Rock fan and Skynyrd was a big part of that. I had plans to see them in concert but that all changed when the plane crashed. However I did finally get to see the current version a couple of years ago. I have to say they were very "faithfull" to the original sound and style. Rossington was the only original member still in the band at that time. However Ricky Medlocke did rejoin the band for the reunion tours and was performing with them when I finally got to see them. At the time of the crash Ricky was the front man for Blackfoot (saw them back in the day).

I have a neighbor who recalls going to a club/bar called "Joint in the Woods" (Orlando area) and see Skynyrd play there. During sets the band sat with them and hung out. Pretty cool.

[TAKerry]

I heard an interview once with Art Pyle. He was an experience flyer, maybe even a pilot. (its been awhile since I heard it, details may be skewed)anyway, he said that the pilots of their dc-3 dropped the landing gear which may have caused significantly more devastation during the crash landing. They skimmed the trees and the gear caught and ripped the plane apart. He said he walked through the swamp for help, when he found a house the homeowner came out and was shooting at him!
I still have the street survivor album with the band surrounded in flames. It came out right before the crash and was pulled from the shelf afterwards and replaced with a more subtle cover.

[vidguy]

R.I.P. to a great player and a seemingly good guy.