Artimus Pyle Net Worth

What Is Artimus Pyle's Net Worth?

Artimus Pyle is an American drummer who has a net worth of $3 million.

Artimus Pyle is best known for performing with the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd during its classic 1970s era. His forceful double-bass drumming can be heard on albums such as "Nuthin' Fancy," "Gimme Back My Bullets," "One More from the Road," and "Street Survivors."

Artimus joined Lynyrd Skynyrd after the departure of original drummer Bob Burns. He remained with the group until the October 1977 plane crash that killed lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and the aircraft's two pilots. Despite suffering serious injuries, Pyle escaped the wreckage and went looking for help.

Pyle later formed the Artimus Pyle Band and returned to Lynyrd Skynyrd for its 1987 tribute tour. He remained with the reunited group until 1991. In 2006, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. He has continued touring, recording, and preserving the music of the band's original era through the Artimus Pyle Band.

Early Life

Thomas Delmer Pyle was born on July 15, 1948, in Louisville, Kentucky. His father, Clarence Pyle, worked as a construction superintendent and had served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. His mother, Mildred, was a homemaker.

Pyle received bongos when he was nine years old and a used drum kit several years later. He taught himself by listening to musicians including Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Ringo Starr, and Joe Morello. He eventually formed a childhood group called the Thom Thumbs.

After high school, Pyle enlisted in the Marine Corps. He worked as an avionics mechanic and rose to the rank of sergeant before receiving an honorable discharge in 1971. He later attended Tennessee Technical College and resumed pursuing music professionally.

Lynyrd Skynyrd

During the early 1970s, Pyle performed with regional bands and gained experience as a session musician. He worked with artists connected to the Charlie Daniels Band and the Marshall Tucker Band, which helped bring him into Lynyrd Skynyrd's orbit.

Pyle first performed with Lynyrd Skynyrd in Jacksonville in late 1974. After Bob Burns left the band, Pyle became its primary drummer. His first major studio recording with the group was "Saturday Night Special," which appeared on the 1975 album "Nuthin' Fancy."

His energetic, technically precise playing became an important part of the band's sound. Pyle also performed on "Gimme Back My Bullets," the double live album "One More from the Road," and "Street Survivors." The latter album included such enduring songs as "What's Your Name" and "That Smell."

By 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd had become one of America's leading rock bands. Its combination of blues, country, hard rock, and triple-guitar arrangements helped establish Southern rock as a commercially powerful genre.

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The 1977 Plane Crash

On October 20, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd was traveling aboard a chartered Convair aircraft when it ran out of fuel and crashed in a wooded area near Gillsburg, Mississippi.

Pyle survived with broken ribs and damaged chest cartilage. After escaping from the wreckage, he crossed a creek and made his way through the woods to a nearby farmhouse. The resident initially mistook the bloodied drummer for a dangerous intruder and fired a warning shot. Once Pyle explained that a plane had crashed, help was summoned.

The disaster brought the original version of Lynyrd Skynyrd to an abrupt end. Pyle became one of the musicians most closely associated with recounting the crash and preserving the memory of Ronnie Van Zant and the other victims.

Artimus Pyle Band and Skynyrd Reunion

After recovering, Pyle continued performing and formed the Artimus Pyle Band, sometimes known as A.P.B. The group released "A.P.B." in 1982 and "Nightcaller" in 1983.

In 1987, Pyle reunited with surviving Lynyrd Skynyrd members for a tribute tour. Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny Van Zant, became the group's lead singer. The tour produced the live album "Southern by the Grace of God."

The reunited band continued beyond the original tribute dates, and Pyle played on the 1991 studio album "Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991." He left the group later that year.

Pyle subsequently returned his attention to his own band. His later releases included "Live from Planet Earth" and the 2007 album "Artimus Venomus." In 2006, Pyle joined other past and present Lynyrd Skynyrd members for the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Later Projects

Pyle was involved in the production of "Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash," a 2020 film presenting the disaster largely from his perspective. The production became the subject of a legal battle involving representatives of former Lynyrd Skynyrd members. An injunction blocking the film was ultimately overturned on appeal.

The Artimus Pyle Band has continued performing Lynyrd Skynyrd's catalog while presenting itself as a tribute to Ronnie Van Zant and the original band.

In 2024, the group released "Anthems – Honoring the Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd." The album featured guest appearances from Dolly Parton, Sammy Hagar, Ronnie Dunn, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Brice, Warren Haynes, and other country and rock performers.

Legal Issues and Personal Life

In 1993, Pyle entered no-contest pleas to charges involving attempted sexual battery of a child under 12 and being a principal to lewd and lascivious conduct involving a child under 16. He was sentenced to probation and required to register as a sex offender. Pyle has continued to deny the underlying allegations.

In 2007, he was arrested in Florida and accused of failing to properly register after changing his residence. He rejected a plea agreement and took the case to trial. In 2009, a jury acquitted him of failing to register and providing false information on a driver's license application.

Pyle has been married twice and has five children. He has lived in North Carolina and has remained active as a touring musician into his seventies.

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