Steve Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

If Gary didn't break his finger on April 9th 1976, Steve would not be on the Live Album, OMFTR!!!

Lynyrd Skynyrd's Live recording at the Fox in Atlanta, was originally meant to be in May, but Gary broke his ring finger and recording was delayed!
Steve Gaines joined the band in June!

With the Fox dates originally scheduled for May, 1976,
The day before Skynyrd's April 10, 1976, show at New York's Beacon Theatre, guitarist Gary Rossington broke the ring finger on his left hand when he slammed a door on it, forcing the band to postpone the live album until July to allow him time to fully recover.

This chance accident led the band to extend their current tour an extra month, which included a date in Kansas on May 11th 1976.
Cassie Gaines, one of Skynyrd's recently added back-up singers, had been telling the band for months about her kid brother back in Oklahoma who played guitar.

When the band passed through nearby Kansas City, Cassie convinced him to drive to Kansas City from his small farm just outside West Seneca, Oklahoma. Cassie arranged for him to jam with the group on their guitar rave-up version of Jimmy Rodgers' "T For Texas." Steve Gaines' impromptu performance ended their search for a third guitarist.
Steve was asked to join them on June 5th in Myrtle Beach.
Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 – October 20, 1977)

Asked to reflect on his success the day Street Survivors was released, Steve commented, "This is like a start of what I want to do. This is the beginning. I hope that I can be good enough to keep on going... This is all I ever dreamed about, you know? just doing this."

Ronnie had already said of the band’s newest recruit:
“I expect we’ll all be in Steve’s shadow one day. This kid is a writing and playing fool. He’s already scared everybody [in the band] into playing their best in years.” - Ronnie Van Zant.

"When i get on the Stage and uh and Skynyrd's Crowd's are there just means everything to me, its all i wanted to do up to now, now trying to figure out what i can do for them you know!" - Steve Gaines.
"So he came to our show that night, and he brought his guitar cause he was going to a gig.
We said why don't you come play on Mr.Breeze with us.... and he was Great, he played the Shit out of it !" -Gary Rossington.
"Steve could grow uh..excellent tomatoes. I wouldn't call him a Farm boy , but he could grow some Bud!"- Artimus Pyle.
"He had all these songs he had already written, he brought in, and then we would Skynyryse it, and make one of his songs ours!"

"Steve was it! and brought a spark back to everything!"- Gary Rossington.
Steve's guitar-picking and songwriting skills were a major revelation to the band, as demonstrated on his one studio album, 1977's Street Survivors. Publicly and privately, Ronnie Van Zant marveled at the vocal and instrumental skill of Skynyrd's newest member, claiming that the band would "all be in his shadow one day".

Steve's contributions included his co-lead vocal with Ronnie on the co-written "You Got That Right" and the rousing guitar boogie "I Know a Little" which he had written before he joined Skynyrd.
So confident was Skynyrd's leader of Steve's abilities that the album (and some concerts) featured Steve delivering his self-penned bluesy "Ain't No Good Life" – one of the few songs in the Skynyrd catalog to feature a lead vocalist other than Ronnie Van Zant.
Live Album was recorded in July on the 7th, 8th, 9th, 1976.
They played the Knebworth Festival in England, (Knebworth Fair) on August 21st, 1976, they opened for The Rolling Stones, in front of 250,000 people.
A World Tour including Japan in January/February 1977.

With Steve Gaines installed as their secret weapon, In April 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd began working on what would become – though no one knew it then, of course – their last album, Street Survivors.

One of the greatest Rock bands in the world.

Rock'n'Roll
More at FB group Lynyrd Skynyrd in the 70's

[moreblack]

I'm so glad we got at least one live album and one studio album with Steve. One of the biggest what-ifs in southern rock.

[mpicewe]

My heart goes out to his parents to lose two children who were so incredible and from what I’ve read very kind

[jasonlee]

Not just a great guitar player, but a great singer and songwriter as well. He was a triple threat.

[MrHellfinger]

Steve Gaines is the best thing to happen to Skynyrd So much talent. The world lost something very special after that plane crash.

[elchingon]

Steve Gaines was going to make Skynyrd a better band. They would’ve been something great into the 80s.

[Dean-mw]

Bad Ass, He was Awesome !!! 😢 He was a great music gen. ❤

[joeyboogenz]

I love the way Ronnie would just watch in Awe when Gary, Allen, & especially Steve when they would rip a solo .When they teamed up he looked like his head was going to explode. He was definitely humbled by great guitarists.

[jasonholt]

My mother and father and many of my family members and loved ones knew them. Mom has a necklace Cassie made her in high school still and has Steve and Cassies memorial from their funeral, and so so awesome old pictures and albums of Crawdad it's amazing. He is one of my favs and not just because we were from same town. Mudville, OK

[edyoung]

Steve Gains is one of the most incredible guitar players I've ever heard. He deserves way more credit for being one of rocks top guitarist of all time. He oozed talent. And Ronnie saw that.

[gonepostal]

Gary called him a “Quadruple Threat”. He could write, he could compose, he could sing, and, man, he could play.

[gilbogilbo]

Skynyrd with the three guitars is the best rock n roll I've heard in my life.

[sirgalahad]

One of the greatest "what ifs" in rock history.

[ronniecapitanelli]

~..~ Hughie Thomasson of The Outlaws once said: Out Of All Us Southern Pickers .. Stevie Gaines Was The Best 🎸🕊

[nicholasnorliffe]

Steve Gaines had he lived would have become one of become one of the greatest singer/songwriter/Guitarists

[kevinshea]

I can still remember it like it was yesterday heading over to my best friends house in anticipation of the tickets for the Lynyrd Skynyrd show for new haven coliseum Connecticut . When I got to his house I walked in and he is sitting at the dinner table with a blank look I said well tickets he says man didn't get them I'm like "what" so we go out for a walk light up a joint about 15 mins he starts cracking up and hands me the tickets 6th row center floor seats we start dancin around going crazy I yell out yeahhhh then the next night hanging out with his brother Jammin a little on our guitars the sad news comes over the radio about the plane crash on wplr 99.1 fm man I could not believe what I was hearing . Imagine what Lynyrd Skynyrd would have been had that crash never happened especially with Steve Gaines joining the band it just sucks that happened . I still have that full ticket too.

[stuartewoldt]

Everyone wanted to be cool for Steve.
You ever been around someone who's energy is just so nice that you can't be negative. Steve Gaines

[jpb]

Happy Birthday Steve! 9/14/1949 RIP. One great guitarist.

[ЮраОлійник-ьь]

Steve Gaines Allen Collins Gary Rossington Legendary Guitarists 🤟🎸

[paulhubrich]

Such a talent, such a loss. Oh goodness, what could have been. R.I.P. Steve Gaines. R.I.P. Skynyrd

[shan-]

I love Steve. So much talent and gone way to soon. I sure wish he could’ve been with us longer. Such a sweet soul and beautiful human. He sure will be remembered always. He was really something. I still get tears in my eyes about Steve. So sad. I love 💗 listening to Steve helping Ronnie sing you got that right, Steve was awesome in every way, a great singer/songwriter/guitarist. We lost a gem for sure in Steve, they were all gems 💎 🙏🕊🙏🕊🙏
And I miss and love them so much. I think about Steve and Cassie’s parents quite a bit. Can’t imagine losing both my kids at an early age like that .
Had to be just horrific for them.🦋💗🌹🕊🌸🌈💎💐🙏💕😢