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This article is about a person who has recently died. Some information, such as that pertaining to the circumstances of the person's death and surrounding events, may change rapidly as more facts become known. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Corpus Christi, Texas , U.S. Died January 28, 2009 (aged 56) Orange Park, Florida Genre(s) Southern rock, Hard rock, Country rock, Blues rock Occupation(s) Musician, Songwriter Instrument(s) Piano, Synthesizer, Organ, Hammond organ Years active 1973-2009 Associated acts Lynyrd Skynyrd William Norris "Billy" Powell (June 3, 1952 – January 28, 2009) was an American musician. He was the longtime keyboardist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Contents [hide] 1 Biography 1.1 Musical career 1.2 Death 2 References 3 External links // Biography Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Powell grew up in a military family (his father was in the navy) and spent several years of his childhood living in Italy where his father was stationed. After his father died of cancer in 1960, he moved with his family back to the United States and settled in Jacksonville, Florida. His mother enrolled him at the Sanford Naval Academy in Sanford, Florida. While at Sanford, Billy's interest in music began to grow. He began taking piano lessons from a local teacher named Madeleine Brown. She swore he did not need her, claiming Musical career Billy returned to Jacksonville where he enrolled at Bishop Kenny High School. It was here that he met Leon Wilkeson, future bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The two soon became close friends. When he graduated in 1970, he enrolled briefly in a community college, majoring in Music Theory. Around this time he found work as a roadie for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Powell remained a roadie for Skynyrd until 1972, when the band was hired to play the Bolles School prom. After setting up the band's equipment, Billy sat down at a piano in the corner of the room and began to play his own version of 'Free Bird'. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was impressed, and invited Powell to join Lynyrd Skynyrd officially as their new keyboard player.[2] In 1973, Lynyrd Skynyrd was signed to MCA Records and received national exposure in with the release of their first album, (pronounced 'leh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd). The bands popularity soared in 1974 with their follow-up album, Second Helping, which featured their highest-charting single, "Sweet Home Alabama". The band enjoyed great popularity over the next three years, culminating in the 1977 release of Street Survivors, which many considered to be their strongest effort to date. However, three days after the release of Street Survivors, Skynyrd's chartered plane crashed into | ||||
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