10 Amazing Bands Who Lost Members At The Height Of Their Potential

3. Lynyrd Skynyrd (Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines)

The 1977 plane crash that killed Lynyrd Skynyrd€™s lead vocalist, their hot new guitarist and one of their backup singers is one of rock and roll€™s darkest stories, right up there with the famous 1959 plane crash that killed The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly and Richie Valens. It occurred just three days after the release of the band€™s first album to feature Steve Gaines€™ guitar playing; the very positively-received Street Survivors. Actually, fate is pretty unkind in general to southern rock musicians. The Allman Brothers Band lost rapidly rising star, guitarist Duane Allman in a motorcycle accident just as their success was beginning. Allman quickly established himself as one of the instrument€™s biggest figures, even collaborating with Eric Clapton, and then left the world just as abruptly, then we have blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan who was sadly killed in a helicopter crash. But of all southern rock€™s tragedies, Skynyrd€™s is possibly the biggest. The band had been enjoying mainstream success since their first album in 1973, but even by 1977 they still showed no signs of slowing down. The crash destroyed the band at the height of their stardom, with Gaines€™s skillful guitar playing promising to freshen up the sound. Although they reformed much later, with Ronnie Van Zant's brother Johnny taking over the vocals, Lynyrd Skynyrd have arguably become just an imitation of their former glory.