Lynyrd Skynyrd's Johnny Van Zant is 60 Today

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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

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