On this day in music history…
In 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines were killed when the band’s plane crashed on the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Four others were also killed in the crash: backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and the captain and co-captain of the plane, Walter McCreary and William Gray. Everyone else on board was seriously injured. The NTSB investigation determined that the cause of the crash had been crew inattention to fuel supply.
In 1980, U2 released their debut album, Boy. The album peaked at number 63 in the U.S. U2 worked with producer Steve Lillywhite on the album, and Lillywhite would return to produce the band’s second and third albums as well.
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