Billy Powell
| Billy Powell | |
|---|---|
Powell in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Norris Powell |
| Born |
June 3, 1952 Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 2009 (aged 56) Orange Park, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Southern rock, hard rock, country rock, blues-rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Piano, Synthesizer, Organ, Hammond organ |
| Years active | 1970–2009 |
| Labels | MCA |
| Associated acts | Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kid Rock, .38 Special (band) |
William Norris "Billy" Powell (June 3, 1952 – January 28, 2009) was an American musician and a longtime keyboardist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1970 until his death in 2009.
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Powell grew up in a military family and spent several of his childhood years in Italy, where his father was stationed with the U.S. Navy. After his father died of cancer in 1960, the Powells returned to the United States to settle in Jacksonville, Florida. In elementary school, Powell met Leon Wilkeson, who would become a lifelong friend and the bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Powell took an interest in piano and he began taking piano lessons from a local teacher named Madalyn Brown, who claimed that Billy did not need a teacher as he was a natural and picked things up well on his own. When it was time for high school, his mother enrolled Billy and his brother, Ricky, at Sanford Naval Academy in Sanford, FL. Powell returned to Jacksonville, where he enrolled at Bishop Kenny High School. After graduation (1970), he enrolled at and briefly attended a community college, majoring in music theory.
Around 1970, Powell found work as a roadie for the band Lynyrd Skynyrd and remained a member of the Skynyrd crew for two years, during which the band secured a support role for Mountain. In 1972, Skynyrd played a show at the Bolles School prom. During a break at that event, Powell sat down at a piano and launched into his piano-based version of "Free Bird". When the band learned of their roadie's ability, he was offered the position of keyboardist.
In 1973, Lynyrd Skynyrd was signed to MCA Records and received national exposure following the release of their first album, (pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd). The band's popularity soared in 1974 with their follow-up album, Second Helping, which featured their highest-charting single, "Sweet Home Alabama". The band enjoyed increasing popularity over the next three years, culminating in the 1977 release of Street Survivors.
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