A.A. RockBlog

Johnny Van Zant, younger brother of former Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie and 38 Special's Donny Van Zant has turned 60 today. Johnny joined Skynyrd in 1987 after the band recovered from the tragic plane crash (the Convair CV-240 crash just outside Gillsburg, Miss.) that killed Ronnie, as well as bandmates Steve and Cassie Gaines. Since the crash, the 1977 record Street Survivors was changed with a black background. Skynyrd remained quiet between 1978 and 1987 apart from a 1979 impromptu reunion to play an instrumental of their well known classic Free Bird . Johnny made his studio debut on the 1991 album Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 , and has since sung on eery other album. In today's Lynyrd Skynyrd, only guitarist Gary Rosington is from the classic lineup. Allan Collins, who peneed Free Bird , died in 1990, and keyboardist Billy Powell died from a hart attack in January 2009

This week one of the key players of the 1969 movie Remember The Titans , Julius Campbell, has passed on at 65. The 2000 movie has become a staple of pop culture and features some of the most popular rock songs in the time it was set. The movie features hits from Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Norman Greenbum, The Hollies, Marvin Gaye, and The Temptations. The movie follows the T.C. Williams High School football coach, Herman Boome (portrayed by Danzel Washington) as he tries to integrate the team back in 1971. Julius Campbell was one of the most prominent football players at the school at that time. Remember The Titans  was very popular because it showed something that was most prominent three decades before its release (and still today) racial inequality. I have personally seen the movie several times, and I would encourage anyone who has not seen the movie to watch it. Meanwhile, for everyone else's viewing pleasure,  here's a video with