BARREN EARTH keyboardist Kasper has issued Part 5 of his ongoing tour report. The following is an excerpt: "In Texas, the musical reference of the day was the Jimmie Rodgers song, 'T For Texas' (probably better known as the version by LYNYRD SKYNYRD). And as it was freezing cold, I decided to have just that, a T., prefe...

On October 20, 1977, Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd were all killed along with manager Dean Kilpatrick

On this day in 1977, Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd were all killed along with manager Dean Kilpatrick

Reuters - Leonard Skinner, a high-school gym teacher who became a rock 'n' roll footnote by inspiring a group of pupils to name their band Lynyrd Skynyrd, died on Monday in Jacksonville, Fla., after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, the Florida Times-Union reported. He was 77.

AP - Leonard Skinner, the basketball coach and gym teacher who inspired the name of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died in Florida. He was 77.