Lynyrd Skynyrd Loses Another Band Member

Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Ean Evans passed away this week after losing "a valiant battle with an aggressive form of cancer," according to a statement issued Wednesday by the band. A southern rocker by birthright (raised in Georgia before moving to Mississippi), Evans joined Skynyrd in 2001, following the death of original bassist Leon Wilkeson.

Evans was a member of the Outlaws before being called up to Skynyrd as the replacement for one of his heroes and greatest influences. In addition to his full-time status in Skynyrd, he had also more recently formed a side-project with Bobby Capps of .38 Special called EVANSCAPPS.

"He's gone off to a better place brother, if you believe in Christ, in Jesus," the band's lead singer, Johnny Van Zant, said Thursday. "I'm just proud to know that his head was in the right place, and his heart too."

"I talked to him last week, and he told me how much he enjoyed that," Van Zant said Thursday. "Ean did a lot of great stuff in his life, played in front of a lot of people, did what he loved to do. Not many people can say that."

It's been a tough year for Skynyrd. Keyboard player Billy Powell died in January, leaving guitarist Gary Rossington as the only original member still with the band.

"He and Billy are talking now, I know, along with the rest of them," Van Zant said. He gave a laugh. "Pretty soon we're going to have an orchestra up there."