In Memoriam: Lawrence E. Junstrom (1949 – 2019)

Lawrence E. Junstrom (June 22, 1949 – October 6, 2019) was an American bassist, best known for having been in rock band .38 Special from 1977 until 2014. He was also one of the founding members of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Junstrom was the bass guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd from its formation in 1964, until being replaced by Leon Wilkeson in 1971. Donnie Van Zant, the younger brother of the Lynyrd Skynyrd leader, Ronnie Van Zant, formed .38 Special in 1974, with Junstrom joining as the bass guitarist in 1976.

An avid amateur radio operator, he had the call letters K4EB, which translate to “Known 4 Electric Bass”.

Junstrom retired from .38 Special in 2014, due to a hand injury which required surgery. He died on October 6, 2019, at the age of 70.

(USA TODAY) Larry Junstrom, an original member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd and the longtime bassist for .38 Special, has died. He was 70.

His death was announced Sunday on the official Facebook account of .38 Special, a rock band that Junstrom joined in the 1970s following his stint with Lynyrd Skynyrd.

“The Big Man on the Big Bass has left us,” the statement began. “He rocked arenas all over the world and succeeded in living his dream. He was truly one of a kind, a congenial traveling companion and a great friend to all with a humorous slant on life that always kept our spirits high – a kind man with a big heart for everyone who crossed his path. There will never be another like him.”

Junstrom formed Lynyrd Skynyrd with singer Ronnie Van Zant, drummer Bob Burns and guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins in 1964, but left before the band recorded their 1973 debut album, “Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd.”

The bassist went on to join the rock band .38 Special in 1977, fronted by Van Zant’s younger brother, Donnie. Junstrom performed with the group for nearly four decades, playing on hits songs “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up in You” and “Rockin’ Into the Night.”

“We are sending our devoted love, strength and comfort to his wife Thania and Larry’s family. We will miss our friend and partner,” .38 Special’s statement added.

Wednesday 4pm: Sounds of The 70s

This week on the Sounds of The 70s we feature:  James Taylor, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Grass Roots, Elton John, Bill Withers, Steely Dan, Cliff Richard, Narvel Felts, Gary Glitter, David Bowie, Sylvia, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and more . . . 

Tuesday 7pm: Feature Band: Lynyrd Skynryd

Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band best known for popularizing the Southern rock genre during the 1970s. Originally formed in 1964 as My Backyard in Jacksonville, Florida, the band was also known by names such as The Noble Five and One Percent, before finally deciding on “Lynyrd Skynyrd” in 1969. The band gained worldwide recognition for its live performances and signature songs “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird”. At the peak of their success, band members Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines, died in an airplane crash in 1977, putting an abrupt end to the 1970s era of the band.

The surviving band members re-formed in 1987 for a reunion tour with lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant, the younger brother of Ronnie Van Zant. Lynyrd Skynyrd continues to tour and record with co-founder Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, and Rickey Medlocke, who first wrote and recorded with the band from 1971 to 1972 before his return in 1996. Fellow founding member Larry Junstrom, along with 1970s members Ed King and Artimus Pyle, remain active in music but no longer tour or record with the band. Michael Cartellone has recorded and toured with the band since 1999.

Lynyrd Skynyrd has sold 28 million records in the United States. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006. – Wikipedia

Thursday 9pm: RadioMax Special: Lynyrd Skynyrd

We feature and hour of Lynyrd Skynyrd music in memoriam.

Following a performance at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina, on October 20, 1977, the band boarded a chartered Convair CV-300 bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they were scheduled to appear at LSU the following night. Due to a faulty engine, the airplane ran low on fuel and the pilots were diverted to the McComb-Pike County Airport. After running out of fuel they attempted an emergency landing before crashing in a heavily forested area five miles northeast of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve’s older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray were killed on impact; other band members (Collins, Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Pyle, and Hawkins), tour manager Ron Eckerman, and several road crew suffered serious injuries.

The accident came just three days after the release of Street Survivors. Following the crash and the ensuing press, Street Survivors became the band’s second platinum album and reached No. 5 on the U.S. album chart. The single “What’s Your Name” reached No. 13 on the single charts in 1978. The original cover sleeve for Street Survivors had featured a photograph of the band, particularly Steve Gaines, engulfed in flames. Out of respect for the deceased (and at the request of Teresa Gaines, Steve’s widow), MCA Records withdrew the original cover and replaced it with a similar image of the band against a simple black background. Thirty years later, for the deluxe CD version of Street Survivors, the original “flames” cover was restored.

Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the tragedy, reuniting only on one occasion to perform an instrumental version of “Free Bird” at Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jam V in January 1979. Collins, Rossington, Powell and Pyle performed the song with Charlie Daniels and members of his band. Leon Wilkeson, who was still undergoing physical therapy for his badly broken left arm, was in attendance, along with Judy Van Zant, Teresa Gaines, JoJo Billingsley, and Leslie Hawkins.

Monday 9am: Labor Day Live Tracks

Today Labor Day 2016 we feature Live tracks all day from great artists all day then a special Vinyl Resting Place Labor Day at 5pm with Willie B.  Today you will hear Live tracks from Joni Mitchell, Kelly Clarkson, Cyndi Lauper, Journey, Bob Seger, Elton John, Steve Miller Band, Genesis, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Kiss, Nils Lofgren, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Madonna, Vixen, Tom Petty, Lisa Marie Presley, John Fogerty and many more.

Sounds of The 70s with Dan Varroney 9am ET

Today on Sounds of the 70s we bring you Peter Frampton, America, Carl Douglas, Tom Jones, Terry Jacks, Paul Simon, Three Dog Night, Cufflinks, 10cc, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jefferson Starship, and so much more. Join Dan Varroney with Sounds of the 70s today at 9:00 am ET 

Feature Artist: Lynyrd Skynyrd (Singles) 8pm ET @Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band best known for popularizing the southern hard-rock genre during the 1970s. Originally formed in 1964 as My Backyard in Jacksonville, Florida, the band used various names such as The Noble Five and One Percent, before coming up with Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1969. The band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its live performances and signature tunes “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird”. At the peak of their success, three members died in an airplane crash in 1977, putting an abrupt end to the band’s most popular incarnation.

The surviving band members re-formed in 1987 for a reunion tour with lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant, the younger brother of lead singer and founder Ronnie Van Zant. The re-formed band continues to tour and record with co-founding member Gary Rossington and core members Johnny Van Zant, along with guitarist Rickey Medlocke, who recorded with the band for a short time in the early 1970s. Drummer Michael Cartellone has recorded and toured with the band since 1999. Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006. – Wikiepdia