Lynyrd Skynyrd Bassist Dies

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - Bassist Donald "Ean" Evans of the
Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died of cancer at his home in
Mississippi.
Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant said Evans died Wednesday.
He was 48.
A statement posted on lynyrdskynyrd.com said, "It is with
profound sadness that we announce the passing of longtime Lynyrd
Skynyrd bassist Ean Evans. Ean put up a valiant battle with an
aggressive form of cancer and he will be sorely missed by family,
friends and fans."
Evans was born in Atlanta, but moved to Columbus in eastern
Mississippi after marrying his wife, Eva. He joined Lynyrd Skynyrd
in 2001 and had been touring regularly with the band until being
diagnosed with cancer in 2008, when he cut back on performances
with the band.
Survivors include his wife and two daughters.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete.
The Jacksonville-based band was formed in 1966 by a group of
high school students; famously, it took its name from a physical
education teacher they disliked, Leonard Skinner.
They released their first album, "Pronounced leh-nerd
skin-nerd." It became one of the South's most popular rock groups
and gained national fame with such hits as "Free Bird," "What's
Your Name" and especially "Sweet Home Alabama," which reached
the top 10 on the charts in 1974. The band was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
The band was shattered on Oct. 20, 1977, when their chartered
plane crashed in a swamp near McComb, Miss. The crash claimed the
lives of six people, including the band's lead singer Ronnie Van
Zant.
And in 2001, bassist Leon Wilkeson died in his sleep in a hotel
room near Jacksonville, Fla.


(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)