Lynyrd Skynyrd Members Share Late Guitarist Gary Rossington's Wish For The Band

Before he died, Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist and founding personnel Gary Rossington told chap set members Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlocke that he wanted nan set to proceed aft he was gone.

"He knew his wellness was getting bad and he had told me, he said… ‘I've spent my life carrying connected this legacy, and aft I'm gone I don't want to spot this band go away,'" Van Zant told Fox News Digital. 

He continued, "So we brought successful Damon Johnson to play guitar and Gary benignant of mentored him, you know, immoderate and came to rehearsal and, you know, he wanted this euphony to spell on, man. I don't deliberation maine and Rickey would beryllium present if Gary said, ‘Hey, aft I’m gone I want this to spell away.’ So, we're carrying retired his wishes arsenic agelong arsenic we can." 

Van Zant explained that Rossington had travel disconnected nan roadworthy arsenic his wellness began to diminution and was conscionable doing typical performances, for illustration his past show astatine Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium successful November 2022. Rossington died successful March 2023. 

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Rickey Medlocke and Johnny Van Zant performing pinch Gary Rossington successful 2019. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)

He said Rossington would generally "come successful and play a fewer songs 'cause his bosom was getting bad, and he knew his wellness was getting bad." 

On Friday, successful grant of Rossington, nan set released nan grounds "Celebrating 50 Years — Live At The Ryman," which turned retired to beryllium his past show. 

"This was ne'er expected to beryllium a unrecorded release," Van Zant said. "It was done for PBS. And aft Gary passed, we were like, you cognize what? We deliberation each nan fans request to person this successful their collection… and what they loved astir nan band. And Gary, you know, loved nan fans and I cognize he'd astir apt beryllium going, ‘Hell yeah, put it out!’" 

Medlocke said he thought Rossington would beryllium "very proud" of nan recording. 

"He knew his wellness was getting bad, and he had told me, he said… ‘I've spent my life carrying connected this legacy, and aft I'm gone I don't want to spot this set spell away.'"

"It was a awesome night," he said. "The set was connected it, and I deliberation that he would springiness a thumbs up and say, ‘Yeah, I emotion it, man. We did awesome retired there.’ It was existent typical for us, you know?" 

Van Zant said nan set felt much astatine easiness that nighttime than a emblematic signaling session. 

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"It was a nighttime wherever it – you know, usually erstwhile you're taping stuff, you know, you're benignant of tight and everything," he explained. "And that nighttime was conscionable existent casual. It was benignant of like, ‘OK, let's spell play a show for illustration immoderate different show.’ So, I mean, nan quality was that it was astatine nan – they telephone it nan mother religion of Nashville there, Ryman – and being connected that shape is simply a beautiful astonishing point successful itself." 

Van Zant said it doesn’t astonishment him that Lynyrd Skynyd is still celebrated pinch younger generations because he was a instrumentality earlier he joined successful 1987. The set primitively formed successful Jacksonville, Florida, successful 1964, and included Rossington and Van Zant’s brother, Ronnie Van Zant, on pinch Allen Collins, Larry Junstrom and Bob Burns. 

Medlocke and Van Zant execute together successful 2023 pursuing Rossington's death. (R. Diamond/Getty Images)

"I loved nan euphony and ne'er thought that I would beryllium a portion of it, ne'er wished to beryllium a portion of it," he said. "I wish successful 1977 that atrocious level clang didn't happen, and we could each beryllium present together."

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He said he was asked to subordinate nan set successful 1987, "and Ronnie was nan alpha canine and nan begetter fig and to person each those guys successful nan room, you know, asking maine to beryllium a portion [of nan band], I really couldn't move it down, and you know, warmed my heart, and it still does to nan 'til today." 

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Ronnie Van Zant was killed successful a level crash successful October 1977 erstwhile nan band’s chartered formation bound for Louisiana ran retired of fuel. Five others were killed successful nan clang arsenic well, including set personnel Steve Gaines. Rossington was injured successful nan crash. 

Van Zant and Medlocke said they want to activity difficult to grant Rossington and nan different members who aren’t astir anymore. 

Lynyrd Skynyrd members Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington and Allen Collins successful 1973. The set first formed successful 1964. (Tom Hill/WireImage)

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"I don't want to get disconnected nan autobus of life 1 time and person him to whoop my a--," Medlocke joked of Rossington. "You cognize what, man? I'll really beryllium honest. And I deliberation Johnny feels nan aforesaid way. I look complete location and I still to this day, missing him incredibly. And Damon's doing a awesome job, nary doubt, you know, but there's a point that, you know, erstwhile you played pinch personification that long, you know, you don't ever get complete it. And his tone is each complete that stage, arsenic is nan remainder of nan guys that person gone connected earlier us."

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He said he takes "that spirit, I put it into power and I spell retired present and play for fans 8 to 80 years old, you cognize what I mean? So, it's each astir those iconic songs that really link pinch people" who want nan set to "come retired location and play them live." 

"Celebrating 50 Years – Live At The Ryman" is retired now.