GRAVES of LYNYRD SKYNYRD & Secret DARK History YOU May NOT KNOW! w/ GENE ODOM 

Gene Odem was not only a great friend to Ronnie Van Zant, he was his brother. You will not find a more humble and honest person that will tell you like it was from back in those days.

My brother and I met Gene up in NC around 2006 and helped him with a flat tire and spent the evening with him and he had zero problem hanging and telling us all the great stories with him and LS. We also went and had Pizza and he actually took out his eye and showed us!!! Also, I don’t know if he’d remember us but I gave him a RVZ T-shirt and he gave us a book signed. What a decent human being. If only there were more people in this world like him. Thank you Mr. Gene Odom!!

I cannot believe this! I live in Jax and was there at the cemetery visiting with my mom. We drove over to the other side to see if Rossington's headstone was in. I saw a few people standing there off to the side. The man was wearing a white tshirt. Holy cow it was you guys!!!

Spent a day with Gene a couple years ago, touring the Skynyrd sites....a day I will never forget. Highly recommend.

Lynyrd Skynyrd were an adored 70's southern rock band who's like we will never know again. Iconic songs and incredible musicians who have influenced an entire generation - from country to hip hop. I know someone who saw them in 1973 as the opening act for The Who- imagine that lineup! Such a sad ending but they are remembered. Thank you Jordan for appreciating such talented people. ☺️❤️😊🥰☀️🌴🦩😊🥰😊🥰

My girlfriend and I spent about 10 days exploring the Deep South recently. While driving up from Louisiana towards Tupelo Mississippi we saw the sign for the Lynyrd Skynyrd crash Memorial,.....so we got off to check it out. Just by total coincidence Gene Odum was there telling stories,..and signing his book with a few friends. He was kind enough to take a few pictures with us in front of the memorials and sign a copy of his book that I bought. It was just one of those times when you were in the right place at the right time. Btw,...the memorials are near,...but not exactly at,...where the actual crash was. The exact spot is on private property and is strictly off-limits except for specific people/events.

Love Gene. I’m glad he’s still able to tell the true stories. Rip to all Skynyrd members.

Thanks for sharing. So nice of gene. I’m glad Johnny accepted the offer to sing . Glad they are still playing their music. I along with 20,000 fans really enjoyed the concert a few months ago. I definitely will contact gene with friends for a tour. Good to see his friendship with Ronnie will last forever.

First of all, I absolutely love Gene. He has told it like it is the entire time, and has a tremendous amount of integrity. His story about how he found out that Ronnie had passed is heart wrenching. When I was a youngster growing up in Joplin, MO, I became acquainted with the Gaines family, who lived just over in Miami, OK. The teens in my family used to take me with them to shows around the area, and I saw Steve play with his band Crawdad many times. Steve went on to other bands, while Cassie joined up with Skynyrd. It was so cool when we all heard that Steve was joining his sister in the band. Steve and Teresa's daughter, Corrina is doing awesome, these days. I have known Bob Gaines for years, up until his death a couple of years ago. I put on a benefit for him when he was ill, and the surviving members of Crawdad played, along with a bunch of other former band mates of both Steve and Bob. Thank you for this video, Jordan, as well as giving Gene a platform. Safe travels.-Joe from Joplin MO

I don’t know if it’s just me and the fact that Gary ,was my favorite. But there’s something wrong and sinful talking trash about Gary, standing right there at his grave when he can no longer defend himself! 😢

Thank you for documenting Gene Odom. He knows the real truth and isn’t afraid to speak it. He was such a loyal friend and continues to be- we should all be lucky to have a friend like Gene.🙏🙌❤

Great to see Gene again, love his story’s he’s so wonderful, I loved Lynard Skynard so much. Spent so much time in Gainsville in the seventies and saw Lynard Skynard whenever they played at the University of FL, ty for bringing back so many great memories Jordan you made my day, I really needed this my friend🤗🥰🐾😎🐈‍⬛

This is really one of the best condensed versions of the story of the band with Gene. He knows all the facts and I believe him. I had watched a documentary about the band and Judy and Gary were all about the money. I believe Gene is always going to protect Ronnie's legacy and family. Let him tell his stories before his time is up on this earth. God Bless him. Thanks Jordan. This was really revealing! You do good work.

Thanks Jordan, I live in Greenville SC and I was privileged to be at there last concert in October 1977 in Greenville and it was great!

Hey Jordan I met Gene and bought his book and I was lucky enough to see Skynyrd on October 1977 at the Hollywood Sporatarium in Hollywood Florida they were gone 5 days later it was the greatest concert I have ever seen. Thanks

The VanZant’s childhood home is on Airbnb. Also, if you haven’t had the chance to me Johnny VanZant, he’s an amazing person! Hope you’re enjoying our City. ❤

Great video Jordan. We live in St. Aug and go there often when cruising around on a nice Saturday or Sunday afternoon. We also used to go to Hell House location in Green Cove but a subdivision has been built on the farm where it was located. Just for giggles, my wife drove out there a few months ago and found one lone lot that had not been built on. We parked and walked down to what I think was the dock where Ronnie and the guys would fish. I'd like to think someone cared enough to save that one slice of history in this much-developed area. From the dock you can see the RR bridge where photo's of the band were taken for the Nuthin' Fancy album. Sorry for the book but these are sacred places and this history means a lot to many fans. Anyway, thanks and God bless Gene and keep him well.

Thank you Jordan the Lion for the intriguing Lynrd Skynrd interview with Gene Odom. As a Jax resident and big fan of LS I learned some interesting tid bits about them from Gene’s retrospective. RIP LS and I hope you Jordan enjoyed your stay in Jax. ✌🏽🤘🏽

Regardless of the internal squabbles every band encounters, Gary Rossington was instrumental in the formation and sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd, to *diss* the guy standing over his freshly dug grave was nothing short of despicable!

Johnny introduced Larry at the Stadium show in Jacksonville when Larry was very ill. Went to the Hell House whiskey launch at Whiteys, met Johnny, Rickey, Judy, Melody, and Dale. A special night! Thanks Jordan for this vlog.

You nailed it with this video, absolutely nailed it. In their short lives, they made an unforgettable mark on Rock in Roll. BEST guitarist ever. Steve Gaines would have gone SO SO far on his own. Alan Collins was electric and vibrant when performing. Gary had a sweetness in his style. Didn’t know Steve had a musician brother, Bob. The Gaines mother died in a vehicle accident very soon after Cassie and Steve passed away. The entire band did a fantastic performance on The old Grey Whistle Test. Gene thank you 🙏

Gene was so kind to tell the story to you! He was amazing! Thank you Jordan for going out there to do this story! This is the best video ever

Ronnie had a "True" friend in Gene Odom. Not only had his six in the 70's but ever faithful to this day.🤝🏻

Touching tribute to Gary. Wow.

Jordan, this was an amazing documentary, many thanks and many thanks to Gene for, once more, being kind enough to share his memories - terrific vlog.

Ronnie was a truth teller.

Fascinating stories about the band. So sad to think people would break in to where he was laid to rest. Really touching that Gene met with you. Amazing to hear his story about the accident & not being found right away. He shared his stories as if it were yesterday. Heartbreaking. 💙🎶🎵

Gene's poem, waiting on your call, hits me hard every time i hear it, makes me think about my best friend Henry that passed away

Great Video. In retrospect of the calamity, many decisions are made because all of factors that didn’t exist when initial decisions were made. The story will never be without the trama and drama that materialized, before and especially after the crash. The Van Zant’s are long distant shirt-tail cousins. We had hoped to meet Tammy, but she passed before we had the opportunity. May they all rest in peace.

I enjoy every documentary I see with Gene Odom, because I know he’s telling the truth!♥️

A friend of mine I played in a band with hung out with the new Skynyrd guys sometime in the 2000s and he said everybody was cool except Gary. He played with their cousin Jimmie Van Zant for awhile. Gene says Jimmie wasn`t a blood relative of the Van Zant brothers. He dressed like Ronnie and looked like him from a distance. I had a chance to audition on drums but I was too messed up from alcohol and substances during a period of depression and was out of my head and I had to get treatment.

Thank you for this post and a great interview with Gene. Thank you Gene, excellent information and learned some new info I Didn’t know about before. Long time Skynard fan. I still listen to original band quite a lot….🤠🦅🎤🎼

Thank you, Jordan. This is a meaningful video for music fans.

I love to listen to Gene talk about the band. Would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to pay him to take me on a tour around their hometown in Jacksonville.

I love "Simple man!" Please put a rose from me on each of their graves in case I never get to. They'll always be loved. I found the Lynyrd Skynyrd movie at a local pawn shop. I'll treasure it always! I love seeing the tomb stones-thankyou! Ronnie's stone deserves way more fanciness imo. I like the way they came up with the band name from their coach.

Gene Odom is the real deal . I had the pleasure of meeting him in Nashville 2016. Anyone who'll stand over a mans grave , and call them out on shenanigans has my respect .

Thank you Mr. Jordan, from Jacksonville, Florida. I remember those vlogs you had with Gene Odom. Not to sound morbid here, but I went to that cemetery right after Gary passed. There was no gravestone yet, but a large piece of plywood with orange cones around it, right where Gary is now buried. Gary is now playing it pretty, in heaven.

WOW, what a story Gene, thank you, This is Very Heavy Things you are talking about here,, A knife in my Back, That Blew My Mind, You will never rob a dead man and his kids, Those are heavy words Gene, Again what you have said here, is just totally, mind blowing, They have made Many Millions since the Reunion Tour, it is uncountable to me, My best to you, You are A Diamond , How do like your new Truck? Cousin Figel

What a cool guy !love hearing stories from people that were actually with the stars .Another great video .❤

thanks to Gene we now have documented truths, untold till now about the band, and every lengendary band has a few, but none has a Gene!

I tattooed Freebird on my hand in 1975...and its still there! Loved them all so much

Learning something new every time I listen to Gene. So Artimus Pyle was done. He was about to be replaced with Steve Gains’s brother on drums. But the plane crash stopped it from happening. It was over for Skynryrd October 20, 1977 . RIP RVZ - Steven Gains - Cassie Gains - Dean Kilpatrick 🙏

Gene Odom was very interesting. Love that video.

This is a great video!! Great to see Gene Odom again!! Thanks again Jordan!!

I have heard this same story about Gary being crooked and a back stabber.

I live right down the road from here. Great blog and second time I missed Jordan in town

I found the dates of Gary's marriage to Martha Claire Millen. The two were married on September 10, 1977 to June 12 1980. RCB's first album Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere was released in July of 1980. Gary was obviously already rehearsing with the band and spending a lot of time with Dale Krantz. I'm just wondering to what extent was Dale the other woman. At least Gary divorced Martha before touring. So you just have to ask yourself was Dale moving in on Gary like a gold digger might? But at the time it would have been hard to know what might become of Gary and his career. Was it over? Would it stall? Was Martha the one that didn't see a future with Gary? Martha started a marriage with Gary at the worst time. I think the Rossington Collins Band albums are a good reminder of the talent of Collins and Rossington, but the band was most definitely not Skynyrd. I thought it was weird that this was the new direction for those two guitarists. I wasn't too wild about Dale's vocal work at first either. After I decided her vocals were ok, I mostly must resented her lunatic over the top talking between the songs. I mean she often overdid it so badly. Gary and Allen only spoke with their damned guitars and here comes this "B" running her mouth in all of the shows. I was not drawn to her personality. She was quite attractive during this time period but just listening to the live recordings she was on would get old. She'd often say the same sort of comments at different shows. She was the loudmouth and some of the songs were lame. Prime Time gets old very fast as an opener. Three Times As Bad is pretty dreadful, even when I try hard to call it a blues song, it just goes on and on. Anyway, there are always Things Goin' On that we don't know.

Saw Skynyrd with Marshall Tucker band back in 2017! What a great show that was!

My only complaint is this video is not 3 hrs long. That was damn good. Well done!!

I know one thing, Ronnie had a true friend in Gene Odom. He struck gold with the words he wrote, but also struck gold when he met Gene and became his fishing buddy and best friend.

Love all Lynyrd Skynyrd interviews you've done with this man a great insight into One of the Bands to ever exist 👍 ❤

We stopped Ronnie's and some of the band member's Limo outside of the Dome Arena in Rochester NY on June 1st 1975 on the "Nuthin Fancy" tour on the way out. Ronnie got out and I shook his hand and asked for his hat. Of course, he declined, but he did make out with my girlfriend next to me... And it did not bother me a bit. A memory I will never forget!

What a great video and I love hearing the stories that Gene Odom shared with us, Jordan you rock with all these great videos.

That dude hasn't rested since he passed! Wow what a story! Thank you for the video! And GOD BLESS 🙏❤️✌️

Thanks again for sharing, Jordan

I was so sorry to hear of the mistrust between Ronnie and his family. I'm naive I guess I was hoping it was one big happy family. Gene is a national treasure! That man doesn't mind hurting your feelings he's going to tell the truth. May all the band mates rest well and in peace.

Such an iconic band, thank you for the video Jordan

Thank you Jordan and Gene for that update on Lynyrd Skyndrd I was born in December 1977 I heard my first song when I was about 5 years old my brother Steve and his best friend got me into listening to them my favorites a simple man travelin man and so I wish I could name off all my favorite song but that would take all night I had heard alot about this band from my boyfriend he knew alot I would love to hear more about them from Mr.Gene

I met Gene Odom the legend at a Molly Hatchet concert in Cocoa Beach FL. In 1987 88. I bought a little book he wrote and autographed it for me .I still have it in mint condition. He is one of the most down to earth person I've met. Thanks Mr. Odom❤❤

Just accidently found this while scrolling. This brought back so many memories...and made me cry. Thank-you.

Thank you Gene ...much love to you sir. ❤ Awesome video Jordan and thank you for sharing this. ..as a Skynyrd fan this was cool.

Thank you both for this interesting, and emotional video! So sad that they past so young!!🥲

Looks like everything Artimus has been saying for decades was true. Had Ronnie survived that crash. He would have beat the crap out of Gary Rossington.

The name of the song, following Gary’ crash in a Torino was ‘That Smell’ around you!

Outstanding and Thank You!!

Great old time stories! Love history, especially music history.

I met Gene back in 1999 at coach Skinners house where he was living at the time. He took me around the old neighborhood and told me all the stories about the early days of the band. He is a super nice guy. He showed where Ronnie's parents lived and later I was able to meet Ronnie's mother.

Thanks, Gene, for sharing your wealth of information on LS!

Thanks Gene,your the real hero brother.i was in it from the start! High school and Lynyrd Skynyrd every day.great video of gene.such a good man!! Thank bro Skinner.

WOW!!!! Excellent video! Thank you sooo much! ❤🎼🎵🎶

Greatest Band EVER!

I wish they would have kept the original agreement and never tried to resurrect the band. The reincarnation is so bad I cannot listen to them. Johnny just does not have the vocal power of Ronnie. We lost Skynyrd in 1977. End of story.

The band died with the plane crash. Anything after that under the name Lynyrd Skynyrd was about hangers on and money grabbers. Including Judy Van Zant and Gary Rossington. Anyone checking this video out, please do yourselves a favor and get back into listening to the original lineup. The rest is junk and an embarrassment and an insult to all Ronnie's hard work. Nice job Jordan and thank you Gene for keeping the truth alive. RIP Allen Collins my mystical brother. Without you there would have never been that unique Skynyrd sound. One of the best.

R.I.P. Gary Rossington my favorite band member. Wow, so wild to hear about Gene’s story my 1st time hearing it. Cool dude. Glad he was able to reel the band members in and he sounds like a stand up guy, major respect ✊ Thank you for this!

Wow. Was that interesting. I got to see the band shortly before their accident. They did a performance at Angel Stadium in California. It was a concert with several bands and Lynyrd Skynyrd closed out the night. They were so awesome.

thanks Gene & jordan.

Wow Jordan, as a 80s baby you were born in the wrong era for sure. To remember such an iconic band like this who was way before your time is so special my man. For anyone interested there's a movie about the plane crash released in 2020 called Street Survivors which was also the name of the last album released about 3 days before the plane crash.❤

It's sad that Gary's headstone is so small.

Don't forget Bob Burns as an original member.

I'm late to the party 🥳 I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you! Big Skynyrd fan

Awesome Band thanks for sharing

Love ya Gene! I also know Ronnie loved you as a brother until the day he passed and beyond in another place. And i hope when the time is right we all will meet again. The last statement i say in honor of Tommy Talton who passed last week December 28, 2023, it's a quote from one of his songs Finally Free It's on RU-vid and i feel it's fitting. Jax and Macon have common ties with musicians. Tommy was from Orlando. Anyway Gene you are so lovable and I appreciate your info and take on the band. You are also talented, i love your poetry and it is so good you could have been a great songwriter yourself! Take care of yourself Gene,, many love and appreciate you as well as myself.❤❤

It hurts my soul to think Gary could have said, '______ Ronnie Van Zant and his children,' or whatever he was quoted as saying.

Musicians in Jax told me Allen had so many DUIs that he had a speedboat which he rode to Jax where his friends would pick him up and drive around. 😅

My late father gave me a copy of Gene's autobiography. It's a book I'll always treasure. I was 12 years old and in my first year of junior high when the crash happened. I remember walking around like a zombie after I heard the news. I couldn't believe it.

The original lineup of Skynyrd was incomparable. I read that at the Knebworth music festival, the Stones were on the same bill. Skynyrd blew them away since they had so much talent and charisma.

thank you jordan....... love skynyrd. been there at that cemetary. 🎼🎶🎵

Thanks for documenting all this f this Jordan. Love all the history and stories. Happy memories for such a tragic end. Love this vlog❤❤❤❤

I thought Jonny would kick Garry's ass for even threatening to take Ronny's family's money.

Love the background and the information. Thank you.

First time I’ve ever heard that Bob Gaines was supposed to replace Artimus

I was at the Freebird Cafe when Leon passed in Ponte Vedra as he stayed at the hotel. Judy, who was bartending said "I'm not surprised" when a couple people were talking about his death. Now I see maybe drugs were also why Leon was homeless at the time Gene mentioned? 😮

LS has been nothing more than a tribute band since their last concert in Greenville SC.

The most new storys available on lynyrd skynyrd. Genuinely new content as of 9/24

Thanks Jordan for documenting so many important events and people-been watching for years.

I love it! Good episode!! I live in Jax. My parents went to Lee high school with the boys

Holy crap! Welcome to my city!

I love Steve Gaines he was a brilliant guitarist!

Wow that's a lot of history I've never heard. That was a great video ❤

This man was a true friend best to Ronnie...protecting him even in death from Gary wanting all the money an CONTROL OF L,S..GOOD JOB JEAN GOD BLESS YOU