Artimus Pyle
The hard-driving drummer who survived Lynyrd Skynyrd's tragic plane crash and carried the band's fiery legacy back from the brink.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American drummer·Birthday: July 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Artimus Pyle's entry into Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974 injected a new, powerful propulsion into the band's Southern rock swagger. His double-bass drumming became a signature on anthems like 'That Smell,' driving their sound to a heavier, more urgent place. His story, however, is forever intertwined with the 1977 plane crash that killed three band members. Pyle, despite his own severe injuries, crawled from the wreckage and trekked through swampy woods to find help, becoming a pivotal figure in the rescue narrative. After a long recovery, he spent decades as the keeper of the flame, touring with various incarnations of the band and ensuring the music lived on with its raw power intact. His tenure is marked by both profound tragedy and an unshakeable dedication to the sound he helped define.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Artimus was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Artimus Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Artimus's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played drums on Lynyrd Skynyrd's landmark albums 'Gimme Back My Bullets' and the multi-platinum 'Street Survivors.'
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- Helped re-form Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987 and performed with them through the early 1990s, including on the album 'Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991.'
- His powerful double-bass drumming style became a defining element of the band's later classic period.
- Founded his own band, The Artimus Pyle Band, which continues to tour and perform Skynyrd's music.
Did You Know?
Before joining Skynyrd, he was a United States Marine and served as a Marine Corps drummer.
He suffered broken ribs in the 1977 plane crash but still managed to hike for help.
Pyle's distinctive beard and bandana look became a visual trademark during his time with the band.
He has acted in films, including a small role in 'Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash.'
His first name, Artimus, is a family name, and he is not related to bandleader Charley Pyle.
“The plane crash was a fireball, and I ran through a swamp to get help.”
