Bob Burns, founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, was killed in a car crash on Friday, April 3, at 64 years old.

RIP Bob Burns

Burns, a drummer, is featured on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s first two albums, Pronounced ‘Leh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd (1973) and Second Helping (1974). Burns’ work can be heard in hits such as “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird.” He left the band in 1974, but returned to the band to perform at their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

According to police, Burns was driving alone in Cartersville, Georgia, when his car veered off the road and “struck a mailbox and a tree with the front of the vehicle.” Police confirmed Burns was the sole passenger in the car and said that he was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Burns was allegedly alive when first responders arrived at the scene of the crash, but died soon after. Sources reportedly confirm that police do not suspect that drugs or alcohol played a part in the fatal accident.

Gary Rossington Remembers Bob Burns

Fellow Lynyrd Skynyrd founding member, Gary Rossington, mourned Burns in a Facebook post published Saturday. “Well, today I’m at a loss for words, but I just remember Bob being a funny guy. He was just so funny, he used to do skits for us and make us laugh all the time, he was hilarious,” Rossington wrote.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.