Founding Lynyrd Skynyrd Member Bob Burns Dies

Bob Burns, one of Lynyrd Skynyrd's founding members, died Friday (April 3) in a car crash in Cartersville, Ga.

According to Patch, Burns was driving on Tower Ridge Road, in Bartow County, at 11:56PM on Friday night when he failed to negotiate a curve and crashed into a mailbox and a tree. He was 64.

A Georgia State Patrol spokesperson said that Burns was the car's only occupant and was not wearing a seatbelt; however, it was raining heavily at the time of the crash, and although it was unclear if weather played a factor, there were also no signs that Burns was under the influence.

Burns was born on Nov. 24, 1950, and, together with Gary Rossington and Larry Junstrom, formed Lynyrd Skynyrd in Jacksonville, Fla., in the mid-1960s, when he was still a teenager. In 1969, he left the band for nine months, when his parents moved to Orlando, but joined again before they were discovered.

Burns played drums on Lynyrd Skynyrd's first two albums, (Pronounced ‘Leh-’nerd ‘Skin-’nerd) and Second Helping. The band's debut record includes iconic songs such as “Tuesday’s Gone,” “Gimme Three Steps” and “Free Bird," as well as a song co-written by Burns, “Mississippi Kid."

Burns left Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974, after his mental health suffered during the band's European tour, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Artemis Pyle replaced Burns prior to the group's third album, but Burns rejoined Lynyrd Skynyrd for one night in 2006, when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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