SKF NOTE: I don’t have much to add to my written introduction to Artimus Pyle‘s Modern Drummer interview published in April 1983. This excerpt and the other Artimus Pyle excerpts on this blog are part of my interview with Art on June 23, 1982.

I didn’t ask Artimus about the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash. He was talking about automobile and motorcycle accidents from which he’d recovered. I was amazed he could have survived all that. “Did you ever wonder if maybe God’s trying to tell you something like, ‘Don’t call Me, I’ll call you?'”

In answering my question, Art spoke about the the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, his role in the rescue, and one reason he thinks he survived.

Paul T. Riddle was rightfully credited in MD as co-interviewer. His friendship and history with Artimus were invaluable to this conversation. I’m sure Paul’s presence helped Art feel more relaxed during this interview. And Paul and Art could ask talk about subjects familiar to them, not me.

We three were sitting outdoors, on a sunny day, at a small circular table, probably somewhere in New Jersey at either Artimus’s hotel or at a nearby restaurant.