They Didn’t Want to Board the Plane
Before boarding the plane, the band decided that once they got to Louisiana, they would get a Learjet to replace the seriously outdated 30-year-old plane. The problem was that Ronnie Van Zant, who was known as “Papa Ronnie,” had a major influence on the rest of the band. And apparently, he made them get on the plane.
Source: Morrison Hotel Gallery
When sober, he was fair and kind, helping out and sticking by his bandmates. But when he drank, which was often, he became violent and belligerent. When Ronnie drank, he was a force to be reckoned with.
On one occasion, he approached Billy Powell, the band’s keyboard player, and punched him in the mouth so hard that he knocked his two front teeth out. Why? Because Billy took too long on his intro in “Free Bird,” and Ronnie wasn’t a happy camper.