He is the subject of the 2001 song "Cassie's Brother" by rock band Drive-By Truckers. Steve was the guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. His first band recorded its debut at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, and later bands included RIO Smokehouse and Rusty Day. Interestingly, Ed King and Steve Gaines were both born on September 14, 1949. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". An amateur guitarist, avid music lover, movie buff and Owner of Rocks Off Magazine. It's disrespectful.". After the break-in was discovered, additional deputies, investigators and evidence technicians, including a team from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, were called to the scene. "We were lucky that they were not able to pry open the casket. Burial. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. When Lynyrd Skynyrd wasn't busy with their music, Van Zant's go-to activity was fishing. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. His proficiency in rock, blues, and country music, as well as his desire to widen his scope and vision, may have led to significant pieces of work in the future. But as the years passed, the songs and sounds of Steve Cropper and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio served as his influence. Get even more exclusive content on my Patreon page:https://www.patreon.com/RNRTrueStoriesToday we take a look at the 2000 news story. On October 20, 1977, three days after the albumStreet Survivorswas released (and five dates into the band's most successful tour yet), a plane carrying the band between shows fromGreenville, South CarolinatoBaton Rouge, Louisiana, crashed outside ofGillsburg, Mississippi. Cassie and Steve Gaines were buried in Orange Park, Florida. He reported to the band that the new guy (Gaines) was remarkable. Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. What date did Steve Gaines join Lynyrd Skynyrd? With an audience of approximately 150,000 and 200,000 people, Lynyrd Skynyrd delivered a performance that took the southern rock artiststo new heights. She was buried near her children. Ronnie Van Zant, the lead singer of Jacksonville rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd,is buried at Riverside Memorial Park on the Westside. "It was broken into about six large pieces found on the ground," she said. Rocks Off is a digital collection of stories, articles, and music. Van Zant was passionate about fishing, and he used it to relax and escape his busy life as a rock star. A $22,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the culprits has been posted, says the sheriff. But for the year and a half he played with Lynyrd Skynyrd, they were simply untouchable. Whilst in Manalive, Gaines was playing with his famous Les Paul Black Beauty, which according to friends never left his side. privacy policy, by continuing you accept our To open the vault would . The program provides counseling about different issues including depression, stress, anxiety, and relationships. Burial. In 2000, nearly 23 years after Van Zant and. This is that day. was killed in an automobile accident near the cemetery where Steve and Cassie were buried. "Ronnie knew that he was going to die," he said. When the plane crashed, Ronnie Van Zant instantly died due to blunt force trauma to his head. Cassie Gaines, the bands backup vocalist, was his older sister. The rest is history. The bands bassist, Leon Wilkeson, was one of the survivors of the plane crash. After the crash, the Street Survivors album cover had to be replaced as it was too tragic to see Steve Gaines in the center of the photo surrounded by fire with his eyes shut. Cassie was buried in Orange Park, Florida, together with her brother, Steve Gains. In 1988, MCA Records released the recordings from the session under the album titled One in the Sun. In a conversation with Gene Odom, the bands security manager, Van Zant told him, that Steve Gaines is the best thing to ever happen to this band., On October 13, 1977, the band departed on a tour in their old plane to support and promote their new album. Original grave of Steve Gaines In 2000, nearly 23 years after Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines were laid to rest at Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park, vandals broke in and disturbed their remains. It was hard for the band to hear Gaines playing onstage amid the distortions and sounds. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. He has now been laid to rest. Aviation Accident And Incident. We cannot record everything. "The family is extremely upset," Justino said. Johnny's widow Linda has his actual remains in her keeping. A remarkable singer and guitarist, Gaines may have had his initial inspiration from the Beatles. And the music was all I played while learning guitar and for the first 25-30 years of my musical life. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any material without explicit, written permission from this blog/sites owner is strictly prohibited. Per Rolling Stone, the surviving members of the band weren't immediately told about Van Zant's death to allow them to heal from their grave injuries before hearing the devastating news. Cassie Gaines/Place of burial. Its where part of the 1970s Pepsi Cola Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute video was shot. A plane that had problems the previous year. His experience in the field spans nearly four decades. Initially, the band members did not expect a lot from Gaines. Don't have an account yet? Green Cove Springs, FL. He also appeared in the 2006 motion picture DVD, An American Haunting, starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland. In 1964, when he was just fifteen, he went to see the Beatles live in concert in Kansas City. Van Zants family decided to relocate his remains to Riverside Memorial Park cemetery in Jacksonville. When did Steve . In December of 1975, Cassie Gaines, Steves older sister, was inducted into Lynyrd Skynyrds The Honkettes, a group of female singers who sang backup vocals for the band. When not researching cases and sharing his findings on radio and TV, Pat Fitzhugh can be found speaking at paranormal conferences, teaching classes on paranormal research, and leading live, professional investigations of Americas most haunted locations. How many times should a shock absorber bounce? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ronnie Van Zants grave at Riverside Memorial Park. The crash also killedRonnie Van Zant, Steve's sisterCassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray. "We are saddened that we had to do this, but we have been left no choice," Jenness said in the statement. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The Gaines siblings and Van Zant, along with three members of the group's road crew, were killed in October 1977 when their twin-engine airplane crashed into a Mississippi swamp. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. She was buried near her children. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Drummer Artimus Pyle said that it seemed Ronnie was aware of his imminent death when they were about to go down. The group ended up recording at the well-known Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Mausoleums, however, will remain at the Blanding Boulevard cemetery as memorials to the two musicians who died in a November 1977 plane crash, along with three road crew members. Steve Gaines_CROPPED.jpg. Pat Fitzhugh - Author / Researcher / Paranormal Adventurer. Due to the June 29th, 2000, vandalizing of this gravesite, his casket was moved to Riverside Memorial Park and buried in a massive underground concrete burial vault. Gaines was cremated and his ashes were buried in Orange Park, Florida in 1977, but were relocated to an undisclosed location after vandals broke into his and bandmate Ronnie Van Zants tombs on June 29, 2000. In 1975, the band recorded at the notable southern rock hub, Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia. Burns left and was replaced by Artimus Pyle in 1974. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Following her death in the 1977 plane crash, Gaines was buried just behind her brother Steve's grave in Jacksonville Memory Gardens. The original mausoleum remains in place. It is about a hundred yards down the creek from Hell House, the bands official writing and rehearsal studio. This school building is Hyde Park Elementary, where Ronnie Van Zant and some other band members attended when they were kids. Timenote.info, Biedrba, Abinfoserviss 2011-2020, Terms, Phone: +371 67 842135, E-mail: [emailprotected]. Did you like this video? A lonesome railroad track runs through a rural area between Middleburg, Florida, and Doctors lake, in the Brickyard community, where Ronnie Van Zant started a family and spent his last years. A fish that dies naturally in the ocean sinks to the depths, taking with it all the carbon it contains. When Steve was 15 years old, he sawThe Beatleslive in Kansas City. He joined the band for their performance of T-For Texas, (Blue Yodel #1) by Jimmie Rodgers in Kansas City, Missouri at the Municipal Auditorium. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. After thirteen long years of lying dormant in the vault, the recordings became a testimony to Gaines talent and short but impactful career. Who did Steve Gaines replace? His two brothers also became notable Southern rock musicians: Donnie Van Zant was a member of fellow Jacksonville band 38 Special, while Johnny became lead singer for the reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987. . These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Her mother, also named Cassie Gaines, and father Earl Gaines are buried in adjacent plots and memorialized on the same headstone. To me, this was the most somber, heart-wrenching site on my entire trip. Steven Earl Gaines was an American musician. Van Zant himself realized that Steve Gaines was bringing about a rebirth of the band. Recently, I explored some of the strange things that musicians have been buried with. The remains of Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, two founding members of the '70s Southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, will be relocated to unmarked graves in the aftermath of the recent . ORANGE PARK -- Nearly 23 years after Lynyrd Skynyrd rock singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines were laid to rest at Jacksonville Memory Gardens, vandals broke into a tomb and disturbed their remains yesterday morning. Cassie and Steve Gaines were buried in Orange Park, Florida. At the height of their fame in the 1970s, the band popularized the Southern rock genre with songs such as Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird. The first of the three shows recorded for the album was only Gaines third time playing with the band. Lynyrd Skynyrds Sweet Home Alabama meaning is often interpreted as being racist because of the the lyrics reference In Birmingham [where a black church was bombed killing 4 young girls] they love the governor [George Wallace ] who was a segregationist. Throughout the 1970s, Steve Gaines played in bands such as ILMO Smokehouse from Quincy, Il, and Detroit. The mausoleums at Jacksonville Memorial Gardens in Orange Park will remain there as memorials to Van Zant and Gaines, the Clay County, Fla., Sheriffs office told the Associated Press. Following her death in the 1977 plane crash, Gaines was buried just behind her brother Steve's grave in Jacksonville Memory Gardens. Steve Gaines was born on September 14, 1949 in Miami, Oklahoma, USA. The rock star is buried at Riverside Memorial Park,according to WJXT-TV. On October 19, they performed a concert in Greenville, the last song they performed being Free Bird.. (1964) and Surfari (1967). Steve Gaines' Death - Cause and Date. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This was reflected in his sole studio album with the band, Street Survivors (1977). In the 1970s Steve played with bands Rio Smokehouse,DetroitwithRusty Day(formerlyThe Detroit Wheels) and Crawdad (a band that Steve had started around 1974). 7. local news and culture. Unlike Kurt Cobain, though, her ashes are all in one place, just not alone. Gaines was born inSeneca, Missouri, and raised inMiami, Oklahoma. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. "We're really bummed," Carpenter said. He is most well known as a guitarist and songwriter forsouthern rockbandLynyrd Skynyrd, and is the younger brother ofCassie Gaines, who was a back up vocalist for the band's live performances. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. In 1988, MCA Records released the recordings Steve Gaines had made with John Ryan (producer) in the album titled One in the . For the fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the mystery of Van Zant's gravesite location has been solved. "The family has said they need a day or two to decide whether or not they want to put the casket back in [the original mausoleum], with additional security, bury it somewhere else on the property, marked or unmarked, or move it to another burial site," Justino said. The final resting place of backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steves sister) and their parents, at Jacksonville Memory Gardens. The secret was leaked through Craigslist. Train, roll on. Finally, on May 11, 1976, they gave Steve Gaines a chance. His first band, The Ravens (a local High School rock band that Steve's friends formed), made its first recording at the famousSun RecordsStudio inMemphis, Tennessee. Memorial bench for Teresa Gaines Rapp, widow of guitarist Steve Gaines and sister-in-law of backup singer, Cassie Gaines. Next thing, her husband bolts through the front door and threatens Ronnie with his life. Brooks & Dunn Boot Scoot Through 21st RodeoHouston Performance, Apes of the State Is Here to Defend Folk Punk, Opening Night RodeoHouston 2023: Parker McCollum, Become a member to support the independent voice of Houston Amy Winehouse: Winehouse is another member of the 27 club who was cremated after her death. How old was Steven Gaines when he played guitar? Ronnie Van Zant (1948 1977), born on Woodcrest Street in Westside Jacksonville, was the frontman and founder of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Ever since, the site has served as a shrine for fans, who often leave flowers, guitar picks, an other tokens in tribute to the band members. Funding for the park and its ongoing operations is provided by The Freebird Foundation. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Cochran said he's been trying to see the lot for a couple of months now. In 1975, he recorded several songs with Crawdad atCapricornstudios inMacon, Georgiawhich were released byMCAin 1988 asOne in the Sun(when the present day Lynyrd Skynyrd band began touring) and is listed as his only official solo album. A few months later, Gaines was invited to join the band for the production of their live album, One More from the Road. The Ronnie Van Zant Memorial Park is on Highway 17 near Green Cove Springs, Florida. He was an actor, known for A Way Back In (2010), Locked in! Stiv Bators: One of punk rock's most important voices was Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys and the Lords of the New Church. Theirmausoleumsremain as memorials for fans to visit. Age of Death. Steve Gaines brought a kind of magic to Lynyrd Skynyrd that no other member quite had He was a great songwriter and singerand an incredible guitarist. Justino said a heavy object evidently had been used to shatter the stone wall on the front of the marble mausoleum containing Van Zant's casket. Assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot, and co-pilot Walter McCreary and William Gray also died. Van Zant's family decided to relocate his remains to Riverside Memorial Park cemetery in Jacksonville. Van Zant and the Gaines siblings were originally laid to rest in nearby plots at Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park, Florida, with Van Zant entombed in a marble mausoleum. Ronnie Van Zant often proclaimed that Whiteys Fish Camp was his favorite restaurant. "They are no longer at Jacksonville Memory Gardens," said Mary Justino, sheriff's spokeswoman. According to his story, Van Zant had told him to get himself out of there as it was not his time yet. Steve Gaines was killed instantly upon impact and his sister Cassie Gaines perished as well. Laura Nyro: Laura Nyro wrote songs for some of the most popular rock stars of all time before ovarian cancer claimed her in 1997. Van Zant's nephew, Ronnie Morris of Jacksonville, said yesterday he was speechless upon hearing the news. . Gary Rossington "I hope the Lord will forgive them for what they have done.". At the time, the band was in need of a new guitarist to replace the position of Ed King who departed from the band in the middle of 1975. I really wish I lived next door to this place. The intruders may have been frightened off by the first deputy who arrived on the scene shortly after someone telephoned the Sheriff's Office about 3 a.m. and reported hearing unusual noises coming from the cemetery. "I think it's wrong, totally wrong. As the birthplace of so many bands, Jacksonville also has been the final resting place for many Southern rock musicians. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. His work has been featured in major newspapers and magazines, and he has over 300 radio and TV gigs to his credit, including appearances on The Learning Channel, The Travel Channel, Turner South, and A&E. What characteristics allow plants to survive in the desert? Gaines and Van Zant were 29 years old when they died in the 1977 plane crash. His grave was vandalized on June 29, 2000, which prompted his family to move his remains to an unknown location. Let's go, man. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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They jammed with him informally a couple of times more, then invited him into the band just in time for the recording of Skynyrd's live albumOne More From The Road. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. Rossington, Van Zandt, and Collins were the only founding members left in the band. fishing, seafood, and live music. The Jug. Some very odd things have occurred with famous ashes, so being the resident morbid person on staff, I've gathered those stories to present them to you. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Musician. In June 2000, the graves of Van Zant and Steve Gaines were vandalized. Van Zant openly disclosed his awe and admiration for Steve Gaines, even predicting that the other band members would all be in his shadow one day.. The plot at Jacksonville Memory Gardens containing the former tomb of Ronnie Van Zant, and the graves of Steve and Cassie Gaines and their parents, along with Steves widow, Teresa Gaines Rapp. Cassie and Steve Gaines were buried in Orange Park, Florida . Musician. The Highway 16 bridge over the St. Johns River, a good ways south of Jacksonville. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Their mausoleums remain as memorials for fans to visit. There have been a few other minor incidents of vandalism to Van Zant's burial tomb, including the theft in February 1982 of a stone memorial with an inscription by country singer Charlie Daniels. Go get yourself a six-pack, kick back, and start reading. Also in the area are benches bearing inscriptions about music. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". However, he had his own vision and in 1974 formed his own band, Crawdad. Today Gary Rossington is the last surviving member of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup. Both Cassie and Steve Gaines lost their lives in the crash as well as Ronnie Van Zant. Southern rock was born in Jacksonville in the 1960s as a new fusion of rock, blues progressions, and a heavy dose of Southern grit. A plastic bag containing Gaines' cremated ashes and an urn also were found nearby, said Mary Justino of the Sheriff's Office. On October 17, 1977, Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released their fifth studio album titled "Street Survivors." A woman asked Ronnie to dance, and he obliged. The Van Zant family plot at Riverside Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida. At the height of their fame in the 1970s, the band popularized the Southern rock genre with songs such as Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird. Other fatalities included the band's road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and the pilot, and co-pilot of the aircraft. In 2000, their graves were vandalized and opened, some say in order to prove whether or not Van Zant had been wearing a Neil Young shirt when he was buried. Fans will be permitted to continue visiting this site to pay their respects. On June 29, Van Zants tomb and Gainess mausoleum were broken into. Bassist Leon Wilkeson is shown wearing his bull horns hat while driving a souped-up dune buggy across the bridge and into the sunset while Freebird is played in the background.This stretch of the highway leads from I-95, and west to Green Cove Springs, FL. He looked at life and music in a positive way, never taking his success for granted. Joe Carpenter had traveled from Bradenton to Orange Park to show his girlfriend, Jenney Marsh, Van Zant's grave yesterday. Burns left and was replaced by Artimus Pyle in 1974. The subgenre outlived both the Allman Brothers, who broke up in 1976, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, who disbanded after a plane crash in 1977 that took the lives of three members, including frontman Ronnie Van Zant. He said he used the information he received from the funeral home for Unit 1, Lot 22, spaces 3 and 4 next to a grandfather oak tree. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Gaines was cremated and his ashes were buried in Orange Park, Florida in 1977, but were relocated to an undisclosed location after vandals broke into his and bandmate Ronnie Van Zant's tombs on June 29, 2000. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The remains of Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, two founding members of the 70s Southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, will be relocated to unmarked graves in the aftermath of the recent vandalizing of their Florida burial sites. Winehouse was extremely close with her grandmother Cynthia, who passed away from lung cancer in 2006. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. With a focus on the 60s, 70s, and 80s, we aim to grow into the modern age as we grow ourselves. Votes" polls, earn exclusive profile badges and claim your Rocks Off Mag merch! He was an actor, known for A Way Back In (2010), Locked in! Its October 20, 2020the 43rd anniversary of the plane crash. His first band recorded its debut at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, and later bands included RIO Smokehouse and Rusty Day. Ronnie Van Zant was born on January 15, 1948 in Jacksonville, Florida. Though they shipped out for Macon, Georgia just a few weeks later, their impact was immense in their city of origin, with a number of bands following in their footsteps over the next decade. The relocation was prompted by a June 29 break-in at the crypts for Van Zant and Gaines at Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park, where fans had gathered to pay tribute to the band for more than 22 years. The street will retain its former name to prevent residents from. Download Image. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Their mausoleums remain as memorials for fans to visit. TheJaxsonMag.com These alleged sightings also happened at Lake Delancy, one of Ronnie's favored fishing spots. Less than two years after the plane crash, the Gaines' mother, Cassie LaRue Gaines, was killed in an automobile accident near the cemetery where Steve and Cassie were buried. However, they had to relocate it to a new location after his and Van Zant's tombs were broken into. The ash remains of Cassie Gaines, Steve Gaines' sister and a vocalist with the band, were undisturbed. Rocks Off Magazine is reader-supported. Copyright 2012-2022, Pat Fitzhugh; all rights reserved. Steve Gaines/Age at death. At 90 acres, the park first opened in 1990 and has been continually been added onto. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Sept. 14, 1949 - Oct. 20, 1977. Pat Fitzhugh is best known for his extensive research and books about the history, legends, and lore of the American South, and his epic investigations of the paranormal. They didn't leave until around 4 p.m., 12 hours later. Steven Earl Gaines was born on the 14th of September in 1949 in Miami, Oklahoma. The gravesite is on the border of mall and cemetery property, an elaborate memorial of marble set off from the rest of the cemetery, with park benches, hedges and a large magnolia tree.