This school building is Hyde Park Elementary, where Ronnie Van Zant and some other band members attended when they were kids. In the not-too-distant past, I created and took a self-guided tour of the various sites associated with the Lynyrd Skynyrd band. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. In 2000, their graves were. They also found a bag containing Gaines' cremated ashes on the ground. His grave was vandalized on June 29, 2000, which prompted his family to move his remains to an unknown location. The program provides counseling about different issues including depression, stress, anxiety, and relationships. Five years later, the Strawberry Fields Memorial was dedicated on the approximate spot, and more or less serves as Lennon's official gravesite. In 2000, their graves were vandalized and opened, some say in order to prove whether or not Van Zant had been wearing a Neil Young shirt when he was buried. Who did Steve Gaines replace? His proficiency in rock, blues, and country music, as well as his desire to widen his scope and vision, may have led to significant pieces of work in the future. Their father worked for the Illinois Central Railroad and retired in 1976 as a track supervisor. TheJaxsonMag.com We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. "The family has said they need a day or two to decide whether or not they want to put the casket back in [the original mausoleum], with additional security, bury it somewhere else on the property, marked or unmarked, or move it to another burial site," Justino said. Cassie and Steve Gaines were buried in Orange Park, Florida. Leonard Skinner Theres no telling what he would have developed cause he kept progressing. Everyone stayed calm when the plane was about to go down. This place is more than 50 years old, and figures prominently into Lynyrd Skynyrd history, both past and present. And, as one might guess, the lake where Ronnie kept his fishing boat is just to the left. We've got a gig to do." 28years (19491977) Cassie convinced him to drive to Kansas City from his small farm just outside West Seneca, Oklahoma. Steve Gaines (1949-1977) - Memorial Find a Grave Musician. Also, several of the band interviews in Freebird: The Movie were filmed on the dock. "We are saddened that we had to do this, but we have been left no choice," Jenness said in the statement. Laying on the ground, still alive for only a moment, to slowly bleed to death. He is widely known as the vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter of Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976 to October 1977. Lacy and Marion Van Zant (Ronnie, Johnny, and Donnies parents) graves at Riverside Memorial Park. Artimus Pyle emerged with several broken ribs, and bleeding everywhere you could. Steve Gaines, Septembe. The band ended up recording a single for Stax Records in 1971. Bassist Leon Wilkeson is shown wearing his bull horns hat while driving a souped-up dune buggy across the bridge and into the sunset while Freebird is played in the background.This stretch of the highway leads from I-95, and west to Green Cove Springs, FL. A remarkable singer and guitarist, Gaines may have had his initial inspiration from the Beatles. Gaines and Van Zant were 29 years old when they died in the 1977 plane crash. When not researching cases and sharing his findings on radio and TV, Pat Fitzhugh can be found speaking at paranormal conferences, teaching classes on paranormal research, and leading live, professional investigations of Americas most haunted locations. He was previously married to Teresa Gaines. Gaines was cremated and his ashes were buried in Orange Park, Florida in 1977, but were relocated to an undisclosed location after vandals broke into his and bandmate Ronnie Van Zant's tombs on June 29, 2000. A $22,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the culprits has been posted, says the sheriff. Powell's nose had been nearly ripped from his face after crashing head first through a table. The Surprising Thing Ronnie Van Zant Is Buried With. Thank you for signing up to the Rocks Off. Steve has two other albums, which are known to be very rare bootleg albums from different record companies:I Know A Little(a collection of live recordings with Crawdad) andOkie Special(a collection of live recordings with Crawdad as well asDetroit). He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. The remains of Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, two founding members of the 70s Southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, will be relocated to unmarked graves in the aftermath of the recent vandalizing of their Florida burial sites. Grant Gaines Lindsey Wingo Allison Hill Bethany Golding. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. For more than 10 years, people have wondered where Lynyrd Skynyrd front man Ronnie Van Zant was buried. Cassie and Steve Gaines were buried in Orange Park, Florida. Steve Gaines/Age at death. 9. Unlike Kurt Cobain, though, her ashes are all in one place, just not alone. There have been a few other minor incidents of vandalism to Van Zant's burial tomb, including the theft in February 1982 of a stone memorial with an inscription by country singer Charlie Daniels. Present-day Skynyrd band members, including Johnny Van Zant, have been spotted there, as have former members of .38 Special, Molly Hatchet, and all those other famous Jacksonville bands. She was buried near her children. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. It was here that Ronnie and the band stopped in one afternoon early in their career to have some beer before playing a local dance. Van Zant was passionate about fishing, and he used it to relax and escape his busy life as a rock star. But for the year and a half he played with Lynyrd Skynyrd, they were simply untouchable. 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. Lynyrd Skynyrds Sweet Home Alabama meaning is often interpreted as being racist because of the the lyrics reference In Birmingham [where a black church was bombed killing 4 young girls] they love the governor [George Wallace ] who was a segregationist. 6. Funding for the park and its ongoing operations is provided by The Freebird Foundation. privacy policy, by continuing you accept our 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. In 2000, nearly 23 years after Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines . In June 2000, the graves of Van Zant and Steve Gaines were vandalized. She was buried near her children. "And at the family's request, the cemetery will pay off-duty officers to provide additional security as well for the next couple of weeks," she said. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". He also appeared in the 2006 motion picture DVD, An American Haunting, starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Yoko Ono had Lennon's body cremated at the Ferncliff Cemetery, and scattered his ashes in Central Park, in sight of their New York apartment. Copyright 2012 by ClickOrlando.com. He obtained his first guitar at about age 14. Its on Doctors Lake, a tributary of the St. Johns River and where Ronnie and Gary were fishing during the 1970s Pepsi Cola Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd videos opening shots. Sammie Ketcher, a member of two of Gaines early bands recalls. Van Zant was buried in Jacksonville, Florida, with his signature Texas Hatters hat and his favorite fishing pole (via Mental Floss). Later on, Steve Gaines formed a band called Manalive. It runs past the site of his last home, which is a quarter-mile down a modest rural lane just behind the camera. Steve Gaines was born on September 14, 1949 in Miami, Oklahoma, USA. The relocation was prompted by a June 29 break-in at the crypts for Van Zant and Gaines at Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park, where fans had gathered to pay tribute to the band for more than 22 years. "I hope they [the vandals] get help, because they have to be twisted to do what they did," Morris said. ORANGE PARK -- Nearly 23 years after Lynyrd Skynyrd rock singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines were laid to rest at Jacksonville Memory Gardens, vandals broke into a tomb and disturbed their remains yesterday morning. Where is Steve Gaines buried at? JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - For more than 10 years, people have wondered where Lynyrd Skynyrd front man Ronnie Van Zant was buried. Family members gathered at the cemetery yesterday morning but declined to discuss the incident with reporters. He said he used the information he received from the funeral home for Unit 1, Lot 22, spaces 3 and 4 next to a grandfather oak tree. Steve Gaines, the 28-year-old guitarist so full of promise that Van Zant once claimed the band would "all be in his shadow one day," was buried along with his sister Cassie on October 23rd . The original tomb remains in place. Born Steven Earl Gaines, the son of Cassie Hatfield and Earl Gaines. Getty Images. Gaines was cremated and his ashes were buried in Orange Park, Florida in 1977, but were relocated to an undisclosed location after vandals broke into his and bandmate Ronnie Van Zants tombs on June 29, 2000. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Ronnie grabbed a pillow from the back of the plane, walked back to his seat, and smiled at Pyle. In 1977, the body of Steve Gaines was cremated and his ashes buried in Orange Park, Florida. She was buried near her children. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. To me, this was the most somber, heart-wrenching site on my entire trip. Burns left and was replaced by Artimus Pyle in 1974. Meanwhile, she said, auxiliary deputies will be assigned to guard the mausoleum grounds for the next two weeks from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. "should anybody get any ideas to do a copycat vandalism or anything like that.". His experience in the field spans nearly four decades. Steve Gaines grave site at Jacksonville Memory Gardens. Winehouse had her grandmother's name tattooed on her arm, and her ashes were mixed in with Cynthia's after cremation. "Ronnie knew that he was going to die," he said. When I think of Ronnie, I think of trains, probably due to the opening line of his masterpiece, Tuesdays Gone, and another song he penned, Railroad Song. If you really think about it, Ronnies entire life was analogous to a train.