From 1975 through 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Showco crew were more than just tour partners—we were a family. Those years were filled with unforgettable shows, late nights, and the kind of camaraderie that only happens on the road. The bond between Skynyrd and Showco ran deep, and it was especially strong between Ronnie Van Zant, my father, and the rest of the crew.

1977 changed everything. When the plane went down, several Showco crew—including my dad—were among the survivors. Artimus Pyle, Skynyrd’s drummer, pulled my father from the wreckage and leaned him against a tree before going for help. We lost Ronnie and others that night, but the stories, memories, and brotherhood forged during those years remain at the heart of this archive.

This page brings together photos, itineraries, crash ephemera, depositions, and behind-the-scenes moments from Skynyrd’s 1975–1977 tours.

If you have memories, photos, or artifacts from these years, I’d be honored to add them to the archive—reach out and help preserve this chapter of music history.

Lynyrd Skynyrd — On the Road with Showco (1975–1977)

October 20, 1977 — The Day Everything Changed

On October 20, 1977, the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash changed the lives of the band, the touring crew, and their families. My father, Donnie “DK” Kretzschmar, was Showco’s senior sound engineer on the tour. He was aboard the plane and survived. In the wreckage, drummer Artimus Pyle helped pull Dad out, leaned him against a tree, and continued on to seek help. We remember those who died that day, and the people who helped one another survive.

In this interview, Artimus Pyle recalls making an opening in the wreckage and returning to help his friend get out. He identifies that friend as Donnie Kretzschmar, my father, and tears up as he recalls the rescue.

Watch Artimus Pyle’s rescue recollection — start at 16:49.

The Showco Family Responds

According to Budrock’s recollection, he and Jim Norris had just arrived at the Baton Rouge Hilton after driving the Showco semi-truck from South Carolina. They met my mother, Rosemary, in the bar. Budrock answered a hospital call at the front desk and learned that the plane had crashed near McComb. The caller asked him to identify a casualty by a tattoo. Budrock returned to tell Rosemary and Jim. Jim suggested unhooking the trailer, and they put Rosemary in the truck sleeper and drove roughly 98 miles to McComb.

Buddy “Budrock” Prewitt Remembers the Night of the Crash

Budrock shared this firsthand account of October 20, 1977. His wording is preserved exactly as received:

jim Norris and myself had just got to the Hilton from our drive in the semi-truck from South Carolina. we met Rosemary in the bar and soon we were asked if someone would go to the front desk to answer a phone call. I went and was informed that the plane had crashed near McComb and they were calling from the hospital and wanted me to identify one of the casualties by his tattoo. I immediately knew it was Ronnie but didn't tell him. He also said there were a few survivors. I got details on where they were calling from. I returned to the bar and informed Rosemary & Jim of the circumstances. Being only 98 miles away, Jim suggested we unhook the trailer and head for the hospital. We put Rosemary in the truck sleeper and headed for McComb. We drove as fast as the truck would go. When we arrived most of the most serious injured had been flown to Jackson on Medical Helicopters and the Hospital lobby was full of guernseys because all the rooms were full because it was a small facility.
They didn't know who was who because most didn't have ID on them, I was asked to help with identifying the survivors and dead. Jim had been to Vietnam, so he volunteered to go to the basement and identify the dead and I went room to room. Luckily we found Donnie upstairs and Rosemary stayed with him, and I roamed room to room all night because no families could get to McComb till the next day. it was also a traumatic night for me as I had been working with these guys/friends since July of 1976. Not to be gory, I'll spare you how bad some of the visable injuries were.

— Buddy “Budrock” Prewitt, Showco alumnus

Budrock remembers an overwhelmed hospital, with the most seriously injured already transferred to Jackson. Jim volunteered to identify those who had died while Budrock went room to room identifying survivors. They found Donnie alive upstairs. Rosemary stayed with him, and Budrock continued helping through the night.

Rosemary Remembers: “he’s alive”

My mother remembers that she did not know whether my father was alive until Budrock and Jim found him upstairs at the hospital. The hospital was extremely crowded, full of people. Once she found Dad, the first thing she did was call his parents. When they answered, her first words were “he’s alive”. They had learned of the crash from the news.

I was five years old at the time of the crash, staying with my paternal grandparents—the same parents my mother called when she found Dad alive.

Donnie’s Memories and Recovery

In our family’s recollection, Dad suffered a punctured lung and was badly bruised across his body. His legs were especially black-and-blue after being pinned underneath his seat. He remembered the bottom of the plane hitting the treetops and the extremely loud noise. I believe he remained in the hospital for roughly two weeks before coming home; that length of stay is a family recollection, rather than a confirmed hospital record.

Showco Personnel Aboard

Four confirmed Showco people aboard survived: DK, Ken Peden, Paul Welch, and Joe Osborne. My father died in 1986; Ken and Joe have also since passed away. We honor their work and their place in the Showco family. The original Lynyrd Skynyrd Productions additional-travelling-personnel roster also places Kenny Peden, Don Kretzschmar, James March, and Jim Norris under SHOWCO. March and Norris were on the tour, but were not aboard the crash flight. A tour roster documents affiliation; it is not a passenger manifest.

In this News4JAX interview, published July 29, 2023 and updated July 30, Paul Welch describes working for Showco on the Lynyrd Skynyrd tour and the lasting effects of his crash injuries.

The Memorial Near the Crash Site

Dad’s name appears on the memorial near the crash site. I attended its unveiling on October 20 and returned for another annual October 20 gathering. At the unveiling, my mother met doctors and nurses who had treated crash victims. I also visited the actual crash site privately. These encounters gave us a more personal connection to a place that had long been part of our family’s story. On the memorial, Ronnie Van Zant is depicted wearing a Showco shirt—a small but meaningful reminder of the bond between the band and the crew.

Visit the Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument website for more about the memorial and the community preserving its history.

A Living Memorial

The October 20 gatherings I have attended brought together fans, survivors’ families, and people connected to the crash. Returning to the memorial has helped us preserve the memory of those who died and the care shown to survivors. My visit to the actual crash site was private. For current memorial information and any announced events, visit the Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument website.

Preserving What Remains

The photographs, itineraries, travelling-personnel sheets, and other materials below trace the working lives behind these tours. One Lynyrd Skynyrd Productions sheet lists general travelling personnel; it should not be read as a crash passenger manifest. The additional-travelling-personnel sheet names Kenny Peden, Don Kretzschmar, James March, and Jim Norris under SHOWCO, confirming their tour affiliation but not who boarded the October 20 flight. I share these records alongside our family’s memories so that the people behind the music—and the distinctions the documents actually support—remain visible. For the wider touring context, explore Showco’s 1975–1979 archive.

Donnie’s 1981 Deposition

On June 9, 1981, my father, Donnie “DK” Kretzschmar, gave sworn testimony in the civil lawsuit arising from the October 20, 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash. In Judith Van Zant, et al. v. Falcon Airways, Inc., et al., he was questioned by an attorney representing Falcon Airways about his Showco work, the tour’s air travel, the crash and rescue, and his injuries and recovery. This deposition preserves his firsthand account in his own words.

Read Donnie’s June 9, 1981 deposition (PDF)

Lynyrd Skynyrd Productions additional travelling personnel roster listing Kenny Peden, Don Kretzschmar, James March, and Jim Norris under SHOWCO. This is a tour roster, not a crash passenger manifest.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Productions “Additional Travelling Personnel” roster. Under SHOWCO it names Kenny Peden, Don Kretzschmar, James March, and Jim Norris. It confirms tour affiliation, not who was aboard the October 20 flight.

Showco alumnus Buddy “Budrock” Prewitt seated at a control console, wearing a red shirt.

Buddy “Budrock” Prewitt, Showco alumnus. Photograph courtesy of Karen (Schertz) Wilson; date unconfirmed. This photograph does not depict the hospital events.