Leslie Hawkins, a backup singer for the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, was involved in the tragic plane crash that occurred on October 20, 1977. She survived the crash but sustained injuries.
Leslie Hawkins was one of the 20 survivors of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that claimed the lives of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve’s sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray. The band was traveling in a chartered Convair CV-240 from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when the aircraft ran out of fuel near the end of the flight and crashed in a heavily wooded area in Gillsburg, Mississippi.
Hawkins, along with other band members and crew, suffered various degrees of injuries. After the crash, she faced a long recovery process due to the severe trauma she experienced. Despite the physical and emotional scars left by the accident, Hawkins continued her life, although she did not return to the spotlight as prominently as before. The crash had a profound impact on the surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, leading to a hiatus for the band until a reunion tour with the remaining members and new additions in 1987. Leslie Hawkins’ story, like those of the other survivors, is a testament to resilience and the enduring legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s music.
