There’s a particular memory of Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s Gary Rossington that his bandmate Rickey Medlocke will always cherish. The band rocked the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in November 2022 with hits like “Free Bird,” “Simple Man,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” and more in what would be Rossington’s final performance before his death in March 2023. It was a star-studded send-off, with Jelly Roll, Brothers Osborne‘s John Osborne, and Marcus King among the guests who appeared during the show.
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“I’m always going to hold that one really special to my heart because that was his final performance with us,” Medlocke tells American Songwriter. Jelly Roll came out to sing “Tuesday’s Gone,” while Osborne appeared on “Workin’ for MCA,” King showed up for “Saturday Night Special,” Shinedown lead singer Brent Smith appeared for “Simple Man,” and Donnie Van Zant, brother of the late Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant, came out to sing the band’s tribute song following the September 11 attacks, “Red White & Blue.” “We had a lot of people was with us and it was really a lot of fun,” Medlocke continues.
[RELATED: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Rickey Medlocke on Gary Rossington: “He Was a Phenomenal Soul”]
Medlocke and Rossington played alongside each other for decades as guitarists in Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rossington was the final co-founding member of the original Skynyrd lineup to pass away. He was involved in the tragic plane crash in 1977 that killed bandmates Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines. He was left with several broken parts of his body, including his pelvis, arms, and legs.
Rossington was also the co-writer of many of the band’s songs, including the iconic “Sweet Home Alabama.” “I think as an all-around musician, his work was great. A lot of those Lynyrd Skynyrd songs, that’s his signature leads and signature guitar in there,” Medlocke explains to American Songwriter. “So the guy really put his stamp on the brand name Lynyrd Skynyrd.”
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