Monument honoring late singer Ronnie Van Zant added to Lynyrd Skynyrd memorial in Mississippi

New4JAX–A new monument was added to the Mississippi Memorial Friday afternoon honoring those who died in the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash 46 years ago near the town of Gillsburg. Devoted fans unveiled the granite monument to the band’s lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant, one of six people killed in a crash in a heavily wooded swamp.

The slab of granite bears an image of Ronnie in a familiar pose. On the back is a poem about the crash written by his life-long friend, Gene Odom, who is also a crash survivor. The poem is titled “On A Cold Dark Mississippi Night.”