Bill Powell
June 3, 1952 – January 28, 2009
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Though born in Corpus Christi, future Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist, Billy Powell spent much of his “navy brat” youth in Italy until his father passed away when he was just eight years old. Back in the United States, the Powell family settled in Florida and Billy was enrolled in military school where he learned the piano. Noted as a natural with the instrument, Powell continued his training in college and soon took a job as roadie for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Eventually he was offered a spot in the band after Ronnie Van Zant heard him play. But in 1977, tragedy struck just three days after the release of their landmark Street Survivors album when a plane carrying the band crashed into the swamps of Mississippi killing Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, and manager Dean Kilpatrick. Powell was one of the survivors. For the time being, Lynyrd Skynyrd was no more, so Powell continued on in such bands as Alias, Vision and the Rossington-Collins Band alongside his former Skynyrd band mates Allen Collins and Gary Rossington. In 1987 Powell, along with the surviving members of Skynyrd reformed and have been together ever since. In the early morning hours of January 28, 2009, paramedics arrived at Powell’s home, responding to his 911 call, reporting he was having shortness of breath. Finding him unconscious, the paramedics tried unsuccessfully to revive him. He died of what was presumed to be a heart attack at the age of 56.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.
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