Mr Tech Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Billy Powell, original Lynryd Skynyrd member, died early this morning. I saw Skynryd once early in the seventies. They were never the same after the plane crash. Very sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Billy had a great honky tonk style that was a huge part of the LS sound. I always remember the way Ronnie would say 'BillyPowellonPIANO' like it was one word. RIP Billy, may you find some great ivories to tinkle behind the pearly gates! M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 William Norris "Billy" Powell (June 3, 1952 – January 28, 2009) was the longtime keyboardist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Born in Corpus Christi, Texas,Powell grew up in a military family (his father was in the navy) andspent several years of his childhood living in Italy where his fatherwas stationed. After his father died of cancer in 1960, he moved withhis family back to the United States and settled in Jacksonville, Florida. His mother enrolled him at the Sanford Naval Academy in Sanford, Florida.While at Sanford, Billy's interest in music began to grow. He begantaking piano lessons from a local teacher named Madeleine Brown. Sheswore he did not need her, claiming that Billy was a natural and pickedthings up well on his own.[1] Billy returned to Jacksonville where he enrolled at Bishop Kenny High School. It was here that he met Leon Wilkeson,future bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The two soon became close friends.When he graduated in 1970, he enrolled briefly in a community college,majoring in Music Theory. Around this time he found work as a roadiefor Lynyrd Skynyrd. Powell remained a roadie for Skynyrd until 1972, when the band was hired to play the Bolles Schoolprom. After setting up the band's equipment, Billy sat down at a pianoin the corner of the room and began to play his own version of 'Free Bird'. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was impressed, and invited Powell to join Lynyrd Skynyrd officially as their new keyboard player.[2] In 1973, Lynyrd Skynyrd was signed to MCA Records and received national exposure in with the release of their first album, (pronounced 'leh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd). The bands popularity soared in 1974 with their follow-up album, Second Helping, which featured their highest-charting single, "Sweet Home Alabama". The band enjoyed great popularity over the next three years, culminating in the 1977 release of Street Survivors, which many considered to be their strongest effort to date. However, three days after the release of Street Survivors, Skynyrd's chartered plane crashed into a forest near McComb, Mississippi. The crash took the lives of singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, his sister and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines,and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick. The remainder of the bandsuffered injuries ranging from mild to severe. Powell suffered severefacial lacerations, almost completely losing his nose but was otherwiserelatively uninjured. He was the first to be released from thehospital, and the only member able to attend the funerals of his fallenbandmates. During the time between the plane crash and the Lynyrd Skynyrdreunion in 1987, Powell briefly joined a Christian rock band namedVision. His keyboard playing was often spotlighted in Vision concerts.Powell also spoke during the concerts about his newly found faith inJesus Christ. Powell rejoined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987 for a tribute tour, and remained with the band until his death. Guitarist Gary Rossington is the only member from the classic lineup who continues to record and perform with the reunited band today. His son Brandon Powell is a guitarist in the Jacksonville based rock band Syntenic. On January 28, 2009 Powell died at his condo in Orange Park, Florida.[3]He had called 911 just before 1 am complaining of difficulty breathing.Paramedics found him unresponsive in his bedroom still holding thephone. It is believed he had a heart attack, but an autopsy will bepreformed.[4] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Truly sad....Thanks for posting,thanks to M for additional info.M said it,great honky tonk style Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 From Googling 'Billy Powell' - very cool story about Roadie Billy becoming Honky Tonk Billy! Billy Powell bio Best known for his time as Lynyrd Skynyrd's unique keyboardist, Billy Powell was born on (June 3, 1952) inCorpus Christi, TX. His father was a Navy man, and so Powell spent some of hischildhood in Italy. In 1960, his dad, Donald, died from cancer. The family moved back to the United States wherehis mom, Marie took a job working at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville.Billy attended Sanford Academy. It was here that his interest in music grew. Hetook piano lessons, although his tutor, Madeleine Brown said that Billy reallydidn't need to be taught - he picked things up right away, by himself. From Sanford, Billy enrolled at Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville.Here, Billy became good friends with one Roy Simpson and they hung together.After a short time, Roy introduced Billy to one of his friends, a young mannamed Leon Wilkeson and a lifelong friendship was born. Billy eventually left high school, and enrolled at Jacksonville CommunityCollege, where he was a music theory major. Billy was also involved in music ina less formal setting, joining a local band called Alice Marr, which amongstothers, also included future 38 Special rockers Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zant.He also did some road work for the up and coming Lynyrd Skynyrd. Billy remaineda member of the Skynyrd crew for two years (which included, amongst the grittiershows, highlights such as Skynyrd landing a support slot for Leslie West's"Mountain") In his second year with them, 1972, Skynyrd played oneparticular gig, a show at the Bolles school prom. After his usual routineworking with Kevin Elson, Billy had time to rest for a short while. In the cornerhe spotted a piano, so Billy went over and sat down with it. Just foolingaround, Billy launches into his piano based version of Freebird for the boys inthe band to listen to. Ronnie, astonished at his roadies hitherto secret abilitysaid 'You mean to tell me, you've been playing the piano like that andyou've been workin' for us for a year....'. Billy replied ,"Well, you know, I've been classically trained most of my life.' Hewas then told Skynyrd were looking for a keyboard man, and Billy was in !! Things went from good to great, life slowly becoming adream come true for Powell and his bandmates as they set about making somelegendary southern music. But in 1977, it became a nightmare. The plane carrying the band memberscrashed into a swamp in McComb, Mississippi. The band was decimated. Ronnie, Steve, Cassie , Dean, Chuck and the pilots all lost their lives. Therest of the band were seriously injured, and all housed in different hospitalsaround Mississippi. Billy was the first band member to leave hospital, and infact was the only one to attend the funerals of his fallen comrades. Eventually, the music did go on for Powell. In 1978, Billy became the first Skynyrdmember to climb back in the saddle, byguesting on 38 Special's album "Special Delivery". He performed with other,low-key bands and even helped form one in 1979, called Alias. The band releaseda 1979 debut album called "Contraband" but it didn't do too well. Whennews leaked that Rossington and Collins were looking to start a band themselves,Billy quit Alias, and he took Leon Wilkeson with him. The "RossingtonCollins Band" made a significant impact, but only lasted for two albums dueto various personal and drug problems amongst the band members. Gary Rossingtoneventually decided that he'd had enough of the band and quit. The remainder ofthe band struggled on, recruiting Randall Hall as third guitarist, and JimmyDougherty to take over lead vocals from Dale Krantz (who left with Gary). Theband, without Gary, obviously could not continue to be called "TheRossington Collins Band" and so renamed itself "Horsepower". Thename though was already in use, forcing another name change, this time simply to"The Allen Collins Band". They cut a single album in 1983 called"Here, There and Back", which Larkin Collins (Allen's dad) glowingly(if unrealistically) compared to Skynyrd at its prime. With growing disinterestfrom MCA, the band broke up. Billy was having some problems now, both withdrink and with the taxman. He was still performing in 1985 as a member of theChristian rock band "Vision" with Leon Wilkeson on bass, andoccasionally Grand Funk Railroads Mark Farner on lead vocals. However, he owedthe IRS hundreds of thousands of dollars and was now living at his mother'shouse. The tenth anniversary of the crash was fast approaching, and althoughSouthern Rock had long past its prime, there was still a large, loyal fanbase ofSkynyrd fanatics out there. Powell had noticed that at Vision's shows, audiencemembers had been yelling out for Lynyrd Skynyrd songs. Powell knew that someonewas likely to tour a Skynyrd tribute for the 10th anniversary - so why not makeit the surviving members? Not only would it rekindle the magic of the gloryyears but it would help the guys out financially, and some really needed that.Allen Collins was by now confined to a wheelchair, paralysed by the 1986 carcrash her was involved in. Artimus Pyle was having severe problems with money heowed to the IRS. Leon had ploughed much of his money into Lynyrd Skynyrd Beerwhich was a dismal failure, Ed King was now having to make a living teachingguitar, and Billy himself owed money to the taxman. It was a terriblydifficult thing to reunite the band. Most of the guys were keen to do it, butGary Rossington dragged his feet as he was reluctant to be involved. Other problemsincluded finding a third guitar player as Allen was no longer able to play, andbiggest of all - who was going to sing? Allen had no doubt who would fill hisspot. If the band didn't sign up Randall Hall, Allen said, then he would do hisbest to prevent the tour continuing. Randall, Allen's handpicked replacement wasin. Ronnie Van Zant was a difficult problem, but the guys knew that Ronniehad not one, but two singing brothers. One - Donnie - was a successful musicianin his own right fronting 38 Special. The other, youngest brother Johnny, had arecord deal with Atlantic previously. He'd released five albums but never reallymade it, so quit to drive a truck for a living. The band invited Johnny out todiscuss things, and with the blessing of the Van Zant clan, Johnny signed on aslead singer. Billy's first concert back as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd wasduring a short (five song) emotional set at the 1987 Charlie Daniels VolunteerJam, and he remains with the band to this day. In the intervening years, Billy has continued to tour with the reformedSkynyrd, and released a solo album "Second Time Around", as well asguesting on records for other artists, such as Poison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Play That Honky-Tonk Piano! Backseveral generations in the south there used to be "road houses", whichwere somewhat similar to nightclubs today, but much more wide-open interms of the activities that took place in them. They were alsosometimes known as "honky-tonks", and so the music that was played inthem was naturally named after the establishment. Many of the earlyragtime and jazz pianists got their start in road houses playing fordancing and for atmosphere. Out of honky tonk - or at least contemporary with it - came boogiewoogie, blues, and jazz. Perhaps the closest thing to that style ofplaying today would be Jerry Lee Lewis.Honky-tonk piano is a very rhythmic, very rollicking style of pianoplaying most often associated with ragtime. The term itself comes froma name given to certain bars in the early 20th century; these wererough bars that often encouraged rowdy behavior and brought inself-made piano players to entertain the roughshod crowd. Whenhonky-tonk piano first emerged, it seemed to be a musicalrepresentation of that type of behavior; honky-tonk piano was rowdy andrough, catering to working-class audiences who just wanted to dance andhave a good time.The honky-tonk piano style itself is extremely distinctive, enough sothat a particular sound associated with it is included on moderndigital keyboards. It's a slightly out-of-tune, twangy sound thatreflects an old piano being played in an old bar. It's similar toragtime; but unlike ragtime, honky-tonk piano is less concerned withovert melody and more with the percussive elements of the player. Itwas extremely rhythmic, extremely danceable and extremely popular amongragtime fans. And what's more, honky-tonk piano eventually went on toinspire a whole host of piano styles, including some branches of jazzand boogie-woogie; in some ways, the original honky-tonk piano was aprecursor to the familiar walking bass found in a variety of musicalstyles. Honky-tonk piano has since morphed into a style different from that ofragtime, a style sometimes associated with backwoods country music. Itcould have something to do with the honky-tonk piano's specific sound;the out-of-tune honky-tonk piano tone at times mimics the quality ofinstruments like banjos and fiddles, creating a great complement to thefast, vivacious music found on the front porches of southern homes. Andhonky-tonk piano even moved forward to influence many branches ofmodern country music, especially alternative country that reliesheavily on rhythmic elements as opposed to melodic.For piano courses for adults please go to http://www.playpianocatalog.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodog Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I was truly sad when I read that yesterday. Absolutely one of the greats, he was able to find a prominent, unique voice in the sound between 3 incredible guitar players without muddying the sound. As a keyboard player I cannot escape his influence, nor do I want to. RIP woo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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