Billy Powell Dead at 56

Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell died Wednesday morning at his home in Orange Park, FL. He was 56.

An AP report said he called 911 just before 1am, to say he couldn’t breath properly. Rescue crews arrived, but he was pronounced dead just before 2 O’clock.

Powell, whose fluid piano runs spiced such classic Skynyrd songs as “Freebird,” “Call Me the Breeze” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” and founding guitarist Gary Rossington were the only two original members of the Southern rock band to survive the 1977 plane crash that killed singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup vocalist Cassie Gaines.

Since then, guitarist Allen Collins and bassist Leon Wilkeson have also died; former drummer Artimus Pyle survived the crash but no longer tours with the band, which re-formed in 1987 and still is a powerful concert draw.

Skynyrd lore has it that Powell, a former roadie for the band in its earliest incarnations, was asked to join by Van Zant when the latter heard Powell’s keyboard take on “Freebird.”

A European tour was set to begin in Finland, next month