Lynyrd Skynyrd Pianist Billy Powell Dies At 56

My friend Curt alerted me to the sad news that Billy Powell has died at age 56. I posted a comment on Curt’s blog, but I thought I’d make a short blog post as well, so forgive the duplication.

In my high school rock band, probably 9 out of 10 songs we played were Lynyrd Skynyrd songs I still occasionally play Freebird or Sweet Home Alabama on my acoustic.

Shortly after my high school days, I came to understand that I was a sinner and, more importantly, that Jesus Christ had paid the penalty for my sin by his sacrifice on the cross – good news indeed!

Not long after that I was attending a Christian concert and while the warm-up band was playing I noticed that the pianist was very good and sounded familiar. Sure enough, it was Billy Powell and he talked for a bit after the song about becoming a Christian.

Comments from Gary Rossington’s wife Dale in the news article above indicate that Billy continued in his faith until his death. It’s quite sad for Billy’s family that he’s gone, but the fact that he had been reconciled with his Maker before his death makes all the difference in the world.

I encourage you to consider the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here is a good presentation of it:

Two Ways To Live