A new press release notes that the band was initially "unsure" about moving forward after Rossington's death. "After much discussion with the band, the families of Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, and Dale Rossington, the collective has reached unified support," the statement reads. "[They] feel that continuing to perform live, and keeping the music alive, is in the best interest of the fans and everyone involved."
“Gary was always the first to say how ‘Skynyrd’s music is bigger than me or any one person,’" the guitarist's widow, Dale 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, Allen, Steve and all the others over the years. While he was not able to physically be onstage with the current lineup over the last couple years, he supported them in every way. His dream will continue thanks to [singer] Johnny [Van Zant], [guitarist] Rickey [Medlocke] and the rest of our bandmates to continue to carry his legacy and music on for future generations.”
Johnny Van Zant added that “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.”
In addition to Van Zant and Medlocke, the current Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup also includes guitarist Mark “Sparky” Matejka, drummer Michael Cartellone, bassist Keith Christopher, keyboardist Peter Keys, and backing singers Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle.
Guitarist Damon Johnson (Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy), has been playing with the group since 2021 when Rossington underwent emergency heart surgery. It has not been announced whether or not he will be part of the revised lineup.
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