Robert Burns Jr., the original...

...drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, died at age 64.

Mr. Burns was killed in a car crash on Friday night. From his obit in the Times:

In 1977, three years after Mr. Burns left Lynyrd Skynyrd, several members died when a plane chartered by the band ran out of fuel and crashed in Mississippi. The crash killed six people, including the lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant, and the guitarist Steve Gaines.

What is it with Southern rock bands and traveling? Also:

Mr. Burns helped form Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1964 as a drummer in high school and left 10 years later, overwhelmed by life on the road. 

Wait a minute -- let me do a little math. This guy was only fourteen years old when he joined Lynyrd Skynyrd? I bet that made his parents happy.

P. S. I included this a capella version of "Free Bird" by Phish because -- and I'm going to take a wild guess here -- you've probably already heard the original.