Lynyrd Skynyrd have officially announced that they will continue as a band following the recent passing of founding guitarist Gary Rossington. As such, the legendary Southern rockers will honor all their upcoming tour dates, including their co-headlining summer outing with ZZ Top.
Rossington, who was the last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died on March 5th at the age of 71. While his cause of death has not yet been revealed, he had suffered several health setbacks in recent years, undergoing emergency heart surgery in 2021.
In a new press release, Skynyrd revealed they debated whether to continue but ultimately decided it was in the best interest of the band, the fans, and Rossington’s legacy.
Rossington’s widow Dale, who is a backup singer in Skynyrd, stated:
“I recently lost my husband and partner of over 41 years. He was an amazing father, grandfather, brother and friend, but most importantly was a world class musician and songwriter. It’s been my honor and privilege to share the stage with him for all these years. His music touched so many millions of people around The World, and Gary was always the first to say how, ‘Skynyrd’s music is bigger than me or any one person.’ Gary made it known at every chance to express how timeless the music was, and it was always his goal to keep the music alive for his brothers because that was always their dream. He spent his entire life trying to carry on that dream for Ronnie, Allen, Steve and all the others over the years. While he was not able to physically be on stage with the current lineup over the last couple years, he supported them in every way. His dream will continue thanks to Johnny, Rickey and the rest of our band mates to continue to carry his legacy and music on for future generations.”
Singer Johnny Van Zandt — who took over as lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd roughly 10 years after a tragic 1977 plane crash killed his brother, original singer Ronnie Van Zandt, as well as guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines — added the following:
“Gary was not only my brother, bandmate and friend. I think he loved me as much as I loved him. We would do anything for each other. We laughed, we fell, we cried and made up, and shared the stage for the last 36 years. Gary, along with my brother Ronnie and Allen started this band and left us all a legacy of music that has stood the test of time, and crossed three generations of fans. The music they created, and the music we created, together since 1987, was always meant to be experienced LIVE. We have come together with the founding band member estates, and everyone involved, and feel the music should continue for everyone to love and enjoy. So we will continue to perform for the Skynyrd Nation.”
On Sunday (April 2nd) , Skynyrd and Rossington were honored with an all-star jam at the CMT Awards featuring Slash, Billy Gibbons, Paul Rodgers, Warren Haynes, and more.
The co-headlining tour with ZZ Top, dubbed “The Sharp-Dressed Simple Man Tour,” kicks off on July 21st in West Palm Beach, Florida, and runs through a September 17th show in Camden, New Jersey. Tickets are available here.
Photo Gallery – Lynyrd Skynyrd at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY, in 2019 (click to expand and scroll through):