Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarst Rickey Medlocke talked about the band’s decision to continue following the death of Gary Rossington in March, the last original member of the group, on Fox17 Rock & Review.
Medlocke explained how Skynyrd did nothing during the COVID lockdowns and when the country started opening up again, they were ready to go, but unfortunately Rossington wasn’t able to.
Gary, on the other hand, found himself in a situation, bless his heart, man - to where he couldn't go out anymore, and we just lost him this year,” recalled Medlocke. “And that really broke my heart. And I don't think that I've quite — still right now, after all this time, I don't think I've quite settled with it, because we were such really good friends ever since we were teenagers. And being on stage with him every night when we were touring is just something you'll miss the rest of your life."
"But you know what? This year we picked our bootstraps up and we got back into it. Frontman Johnny [Van Zant, frontman] and I decided, 'Hey…' The outcry of the fans were such that they said, 'Please don't let this be the end of it.' And so we decided, along with the former bandmembers' estates and relatives, that we were gonna go back out and take the great music to the fans. Because, honestly, the songs is what makes it all happen for Lynyrd Skynyrd. It's all about the music. Those are such iconic and great songs, and I and I feel very honored and very proud that I've been able to be there and play those songs all this time. And God bless Gary for getting me back into this, and I promised him that I would stay in this band till the final note in 'Free Bird' was struck. And here I am; I'm still here."
ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd are back at it in 2024! They've added more dates and special guests for The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour. Tickets go on sale on November 3. Dates are listed below.
The new dates are announced in two legs. The first leg launched on March 8 in Savannah, GA, and wraps up in Corpus Christi, TX on April 20. The second leg runs from August 9 in Mount Pleasant, MI, through September 22 Ridgefield, WA
The first leg of dates feature support from Black Stone Cherry, with Outlaws appearing on the second leg.
Dates:
March
8 - Savannah, GA - Enmarket Arena
9 - Estero, FL - Hertz Arena
14 - Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena
15 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boiling Arena at Food City Ctr.
16 - Columbia, SC - Colonial Life Arena
22 - Bossier City, LA - Brookshire Grocery Arena
23 - Southhaven, MS - Landers Center
24 - Macon, GA - Macon Amphitheater
28 - Lexington, KY - Rupp Arena
29 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
30 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Coliseum
April
4 - Biloxi, MS - Mississippi Coast Coliseum
5 - Tallahassee, FL - Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
6 - Huntsville, AL - Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center
12 - Evansville, IN - Ford Center
13 - Moline, IL - Vibrant Arena
14 - Green Bay, WI - Resch Center
18 - North Little Rock, AR - Simmons Bank Arena
19 - Lafayette, LA - Cajundome
20 - Corpus Christi, TX - American Bank Center
August
9 - Mount Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort #
15 - Syracuse, NY - Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview
16 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
17 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
22 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
23 - Gilford, NH - BankNH Pavilion
24 - Hartford, CT - Xfinity Theatre
September
5 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
7 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amph. at Virginia Beach
8 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
12 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater
13 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
14 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
19 - Concord, CA - Toyota Pavilion at Concord
21 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
22 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
