Cassie and Steve Gaines were buried in Orange Park, Florida. Steve Gaines/Age at death. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. . She was buried near her children. Van Zant was buried in Jacksonville, Florida, with his signature Texas Hatters hat and his favorite fishing pole (via Mental Floss ). Burial. In 1988, MCA Records released the recordings Steve Gaines had made with John Ryan (producer) in the album titled One in the Sun. Ronnie Van Zant, one of his sisters, and his parents, are now buried here. His first band recorded its debut at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, and later bands included RIO Smokehouse and Rusty Day. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. The longtime pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church in suburban Memphis and the three-time Southern Baptist Convention president died Nov. 15 at the age of 74 following a battle with pneumonia and cancer. 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. Jacksonville's Southern rock graves | Modern Cities This scene also featured in the video to the song, Down on Brickyard Road, written by Johnny Van Zant in paying tribute to his late brother. Originally, he was buried at Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park, but due to vandalism, was moved from there to Riverside Memorial Park on Normandy Boulevard. Memorial bench for Ronnie Van Zant at Riverside Memorial Park. Gary Rossington 19741977 "I hope the Lord will forgive them for what they have done.". In the not-too-distant past, I created and took a self-guided tour of the various sites associated with the Lynyrd Skynyrd band. The Jaxson is produced by Modern Cities in association with WJCT. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. Steve was the guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Steve Gaines (1949-1977) - Find a Grave Memorial He died on October 20, 1977 in the plane crash that also took the lives of Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines. Ronnie Van Zant Ronnie was the lead singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Gaines was born in Miami, Oklahoma. A listing name reads: "Two plots with vaults adjacent to the late Ronnie Van Zant.". Amy Winehouse: Winehouse is another member of the 27 club who was cremated after her death. Steven Earl Gaines was an American musician. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It was hard for the band to hear Gaines playing onstage amid the distortions and sounds. Rocks Off Magazine contains a number of affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission when you click these links, at no additional cost to you. While Van Zants casket was not opened, the urn containing Gainess ashes was, and his ashes were spilled. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. ", The new burial sites, Justino said, "will not be disclosed for security reasons.". Celebrities Who Died in Plane and Helicopter Crashes, The Rock Road Claims Another Tragic Victim: Ronnie Van Zant of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, The Skynyrd Tragedy Behind Them, Rossington Collins Now Plays 'Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere', Remembering the 59 Slain Victims of the Las Vegas Concert Massacre, 3 Years Later, Heaven's Gate, 25 Years Later: Remembering 38 People Who Died with Cult Leader. It's about 2 inches thick.". 28 years. How old was Steven Gaines when he played guitar? He was standing beside a road on the other side of a row of trees separating the cemetery property from the mall. 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. Steve Gaines/Spouse. He looked at life and music in a positive way, never taking his success for granted. October 20, 1977. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Rocks Off is a digital collection of stories, articles, and music. According to Louder Sound, a lot of people claimed to have seen a figure dressed in black holding a yellow fishing pole the same color that Ronnie was buried with. Van Zant himself realized that Steve Gaines was bringing about a rebirth of the band. "On behalf of the Van Zant family," Jenness said, "I would like to personally thank all of those who have been so caring. Just clear tips and lifehacks for every day. Today Gary Rossington is the last surviving member of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup. Also in the area are benches bearing inscriptions about music. Following her death in the 1977 plane crash, Gaines was buried just behind her brother Steve's grave in Jacksonville Memory Gardens. At 90 acres, the park first opened in 1990 and has been continually been added onto. Initially, the band members did not expect a lot from Gaines. The Van Zant family plot at Riverside Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida. He was an actor, known for A Way Back In (2010), Locked in! The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Ronnie Van Zant, the lead singer of Jacksonville rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd,is buried at Riverside Memorial Park on the Westside. Many in Florida believe that Ronnie's spirit is just roaming the swamps Florida while enjoying his favorite hobby. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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. The caller had been waiting for someone to pick him up at the mall. 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. But for the year and a half he played with Lynyrd Skynyrd, they were simply untouchable. Craigslist posting reveals Ronnie Van Zant's burial site 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. Steve Gaines was cremated and buried in Orange Park, Florida in 1977, but was relocated to an undisclosed location after vandals broke into his and bandmate Ronnie Van Zant's tombs on June 29, 2000. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Following her death in the 1977 plane crash, Gaines was buried just behind her brother Steves grave in Jacksonville Memory Gardens. 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. The secret was leaked through Craigslist. Interestingly, Ed King and Steve Gaines were both born on September 14, 1949. The rock star is buried at Riverside Memorial Park,according to WJXT-TV. Ronnie Van Zants grave at Riverside Memorial Park. To complete the sign up process please verify your email address by clicking on the link that has been sent to you previously speficifed email. Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. Steve Gaines, Actor: A Way Back In. A plane that had problems the previous year. Embed from Getty Images. Although initially reluctant, the band relented and on May 11, 1976 Steve joined Skynyrd on stage for one song. The site. The original mausoleum remains in place. Don't have an account yet? He is widely known as the vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter of Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976 to October 1977. Their mausoleums remain as memorials for fans to visit. "The bag had a hole in it," Justino said. The bands bassist, Leon Wilkeson, was one of the survivors of the plane crash. This is a very lengthy, detailed post. "We were lucky that they were not able to pry open the casket. His guitar-picking and songwriting skills were a major revelation to the band, as proven on his one studio album, 1977'sStreet Survivors. The Van Zant family plot at Riverside Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida. On October 19, they performed a concert in Greenville, the last song they performed being Free Bird.. Not a train wreck, but a train. The bag containing Gaines' ashes was broken, and some were spilled. However, Kevin Elson, the sound technician, had been listening intently through headphones. He has been in the band from day one and his six-string slinging has been featured on every one of the bands releases. Steve Gaines. Gaines and her fellow singers Jojo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins provided a crucial element to the bands distinctive sound. Others sustained grave injuries but otherwise survived the accident (via Taste of Country). Steve Gaines grave site at Jacksonville Memory Gardens. I always felt that Ronnie belonged to his fans but I never thought anyone would do something like this to his resting place.". A block up Woodcrest from the Van Zant house is the former Woodcrest Grocery, where Ronnie worked as a kid and also sat out front listening to older men (including Shorty Medlocke, Rickys father) play and sing the blues. The plane landed in a swampy area and crashed into trees. After thirteen long years of lying dormant in the vault, the recordings became a testimony to Gaines talent and short but impactful career. Her mother, also named Cassie Gaines, and father Earl Gaines are buried in adjacent plots and memorialized on the same headstone. He served with his predecessor at Bellevue and three-time SBC president, Adrian Rogers, on a committee charged with revising The Baptist Faith and Message. At 1:30 p.m., Steve and Cassie Gaines' childhood street in Miami, Circle Drive, will be co-named Gaines Drive in their honor. Recorded in the renowned Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Gaines contributed four original compositions, two singles of his own, and two in collaboration with Van Zant. local news and culture. Due to the June 29th, 2000, vandalizing of his original grave site, his casket was moved here and buried in a massive underground concrete burial vault. In a bizarre twist to the case, 40-year-old David Jennings of Jacksonville was arrested and charged early Monday with damaging a temporary, plywood wall on the rear of Van Zant's Mausoleum, Justino said. Ive never heard anybody, including any of us, play his picking part quite right. Gary Rossington on Gaines and the track I Know A Little.. 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.