Lynyrd Skynyrd’s music will continue to be a live attraction following the March death of the band’s last original member Gary Rossington. The remaining members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and family estates released a statement on Monday announcing the group’s plans to continue as a touring outfit, including a summer trek with ZZ Top this year.
Rossington’s widow and longtime Skynyrd backing singer Dale Rossington offered a statement on coming to grips with his loss and his considerable body of work with the band.
“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,’” Rossington said. “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 [Van Zant], Allen [Collins], Steve [Gaines] and all the others over the years. His dream will continue thanks to Johnny [Van Zant], Rickey [Medlocke] and the rest of our bandmates to continue to carry his legacy and music on for future generations.”
Singer Johnny Van Zant, who stepped into his late brother Ronnie’s role when the band reformed to tour in the Eighties, touched on the importance of the Skynyrd concert experience.
“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,” he said. “The music they created, and the music we created, together since 1987, was always meant to be experienced live.”
The final performance of Gary Rossington with Lynyrd Skynyrd took place at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in November 2022. A recording of that performance will air in August on PBS.
Lynyrd Skynyrd and Rossington were honored at Sunday night’s CMT Music Awards with an all-star medley of “Simple Man” and “Sweet Home Alabama” that featured Billy Gibbons, Warren Haynes, Slash, Cody Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Chuck Leavell, Ashley McBryde, and Wynonna Judd. Touring members Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlocke were also present at the show, which took place at Austin’s Moody Center.
The group’s joint Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with ZZ Top gets underway on July 21 in West Palm Beach and continues all the way through mid-September. Skynyrd will play a handful of other festival dates this spring and early summer.
Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour dates:
July 21 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
July 22 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 23 – Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
July 28 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
July 29 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
July 30 – Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Aug. 7 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
Aug. 10 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 11 – Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre
Aug. 13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion
Aug. 17 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis, MO
Aug. 19 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL
Aug. 20 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
Aug. 25 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
Aug. 26 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
Aug. 27 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
Sept. 1 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
Sept. 2 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
Sept. 3 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
Sept. 8 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Sept. 9 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
Sept. 10 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sept. 16 – Ocean City, MD @ Ocean City Bike Fest
Sept. 17 – Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion