Lynyrd Skynyrd has introduced that they may proceed as a band following the demise of Gary Rossington on March 5. The guitarist was the final remaining founding member of the legendary Southern rock group’s unique lineup.
A brand new press launch notes that the band was initially “not sure” about shifting ahead after Rossington’s demise. “After a lot dialogue with the band, the households of Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, and Dale Rossington, the collective has reached unified help,” the assertion reads. “[They] really feel that persevering with to carry out dwell, and holding the music alive, is in one of the best curiosity of the followers and everybody concerned.”
“Gary was at all times the primary to say how ‘Skynyrd’s music is greater than me or anyone individual,’” the guitarist’s widow, Dale Rossington, mentioned.
“Gary made it recognized at each likelihood to specific how timeless the music was, and it was at all times his purpose to maintain the music alive for his brothers as a result of that was at all times their dream. He spent his complete life making an attempt to hold on that dream for Ronnie, Allen, Steve and all of the others through the years. Whereas he was not in a position to bodily be onstage with the present lineup over the past couple years, he supported them in each approach. His dream will proceed due to [singer] Johnny [Van Zant], [guitarist] Rickey [Medlocke] and the remainder of our bandmates to proceed to hold his legacy and music on for future generations.”
Johnny Van Zant added that “Gary was not solely my brother, bandmate and pal. I feel he liked me as a lot as I liked him. We’d do something for one another. We laughed, we fell, we cried and made up, and shared the stage for the final 36 years. Gary, together with my brother Ronnie and Allen, began this band and left us all a legacy of music that has stood the check of time, and crossed three generations of followers.”
Along with Van Zant and Medlocke, the present Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup additionally contains guitarist Mark “Sparky” Matejka, drummer Michael Cartellone, bassist Keith Christopher, keyboardist Peter Keys, and backing singers Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle.
Guitarist Damon Johnson (Alice Cooper, Skinny Lizzy), has been taking part in with the group since 2021 when Rossington underwent emergency coronary heart surgical procedure. It has not been introduced whether or not or not he can be a part of the revised lineup.
Lynyrd Skynyrd carried out their first live performance with out Rossington on March 12. They known as it “one of many hardest exhibits of our lives.” After a run of upcoming headlining dates, they’re going to begin the Sharp Dressed Easy Man tour with ZZ Prime on July 21.
Van Zant is now Lynyrd Skynyrd’s longest-tenured member. He stepped in to fill the sneakers of his late brother in 1987. Medlocke provides one other hyperlink to the group’s early days: Though he’s been with the band since 1996, he was additionally a part of the second iteration of its lineup, taking part in and recording with Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1971 and 1972 earlier than the discharge of their debut album.
Based on authorized paperwork, the unique surviving members took a “blood oath” to not use the band identify following the tragic aircraft crash in 1977 that claimed the lives of three bandmates. In 2009, Larkin Collins, father of unique Skynyrd guitarist Collins (who died in 1990), instructed The Florida-Instances Union that the band’s ‘80s reunion settlement stipulated that there needed to be at the very least three unique members for the band identify for use. When bassist Leon Wilkeson died in 2001, they lowered the required quantity to 2.
On the time of keyboardist Billy Powell’s demise in 2009, Larkin Collins indicated that they’d have the ability to make preparations for Skynyrd to hold on with simply Rossington. However he was guarded about any potentialities past that. “With out an unique band member, I’ve received my doubts,” he mentioned. “We’re not going to show it free to no person who would damage the identify, let it get on the market and haven’t any respect for the identify.”
Rossington weathered a number of well being points main as much as coronary heart surgical procedure in 2021, together with a 2015 coronary heart assault. He revealed in 2018 that medical doctors had been urging him to cease touring for 15 years; the guitarist mentioned he selected to depend on a “battery of nitroglycerin tablets to remain alive.”
“I’ve had coronary heart assaults onstage rather a lot,” he instructed the Tampa Bay Instances in 2018. His rising emotions of mortality have been an element within the group’s choice to start the Final of the Road Survivors Farewell Tour that very same yr.
“That is why I used to be calling it a farewell tour – I do not know if I will be right here,” Rossington defined. “I do not need to simply say, ‘Effectively, we’re by no means going to finish,’ as a result of I do not need to die after which it finish that approach – which is a heavy factor to speak about, however I’ve to.”
Though the band’s preliminary plans to name it quits modified, Johnny Van Zant instructed The Florida-Instances Union in 2022 that they’d in all probability be “hanging it up” inside a yr. “We’re going to retire from touring,” he mentioned.
