The Street Survivors album of 1977 turned out to be a showcase for

The Street Survivors album of 1977 turned out to be a showcase for guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines , who had joined the band just a year earlier and was making his studio debut with them. Publicly and privately, Ronnie Van Zant marveled at the multiple talents of Skynyrd’s newest member, claiming that the band would “all be in his shadow one day”. Gaines’ contributions included his co-lead vocal with Van Zant on the co-written “You Got That Right” and the rousing guitar boogie “I Know a Little”, which he had written before he joined Skynyrd. So confident was Skynyrd’s leader of Gaines’ abilities that the album (and some concerts) featured Gaines delivering his self-penned bluesy “Ain’t No Good Life”, the only song in the pre-crash Skynyrd catalog to feature a lead vocalist other than Ronnie Van Zant (the album Skynyrd’s First: The Complete Muscle Shoals Album , which features two songs sung by former drummer/future guitarist Rickey Medlocke , was released after the plane crash). The album also included the hit singles ” What’s Your Name ” and “That Smell”. The band was poised for their biggest tour yet, with shows always highlighted by the iconic rock anthem “Free Bird”.