Gary Rossington

Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does."

“I don’t think of it as tragedy — I think of it as life,” he said upon the group’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2006. Rossington, Burns, Van Zant, and guitarist Allen Collins gathered that afternoon at Burns’ Jacksonville home to jam the Rolling Stone’s “Time Is on My Side.” “Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does.

'Sweet Home Alabama' guitarist was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

[Wayfair Coupon - 20% Off Sitewide](https://www.wsj.com/coupons/wayfair) No cause of death was given. Rossington, who was 71 years old, died on Sunday, the group said in a Facebook post.

Gary Rossington, the guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died at 71. Rossington was the last surviving original member of the band, outlasting an infamous 1977 ...

After being signed by Blood, Sweat & Tears’ Al Kooper in 1972, Skynyrd released their debut, (Pronounced ‘Leh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), in 1973, cementing their legacy as one of southern rock’s biggest bands with hits like “Simple Man” and “Gimme Three Steps.” Most notably, that album featured (As part of a settlement with the widows of two original members, Rossington was required to be a member of any future iterations of Skynyrd.) Since reuniting, Skynyrd has continued to record and tour through today. Rossington broke two arms and a leg and punctured multiple organs in the crash, and was left to carry on his band’s legacy when they reformed in 1987, as one of the only pre-crash members and the only original one.

Gary Rossington, the last surviving original member and original guitarist for the rock band Lynard Skynard, passed away at the age of 71 yesterday.

RIP Gary Rossington, God Bless the Lynyrd Gary was not only a friend, but a collaborator that wrote songs with me and played guitar with me in studio recordings and onstage so many times. Photo via Lynard Skynard Official Facebook Page

Charlie Starr, of Southern rock band Blackberry Smoke remembers Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington, who died at 71.

That’s another hook to the song. It’s another verse to the song. Think about Ronnie saying, “Play it pretty for Atlanta” [during “Free Bird” at the Fox Theatre in 1976]. The song is not “Free Bird” without that part. We asked Starr to explain Lynyrd Skynyrd’s impact, dissect Rossington’s approach to his instrument, and unravel the mysteries of the guitarist’s signature slide intro to [“Free Bird.”](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lynyrd-skynyrd-first-show-back-free-bird-1180286/) “I said, ‘What does he want me to play?’ She said, ‘He said to play the blues.’ And I got that because that’s where Gary came from,” Starr says, calling from Zurich, Switzerland, where Blackberry Smoke are about to perform. When you listen to “Free Bird,” his playing sounds like a bird singing to you. “After they walked down the aisle, Gary yelled over to me, ‘OK, play the blues now!’ and so I did. Listen to the solo for “Don’t Ask Me No Questions,” too. “I’ll carry that with me forever.” They were all so different, starting with And those songs are like Beatles and Stones songs — they’re accessible.

The last surviving original member of the classic Southern rock group, he played the soaring slide guitar solo on “Free Bird” and co-wrote “Sweet Home ...

Mr. In 1976 Mr. Rossington and Mr. In a 1993 interview with The Associated Press, Mr. In 1987, the 10th anniversary of the crash, Mr. Van Zant; Mr. Van Zant and Mr. “We came in and did Yardbirds and Stones. “We do it now as an instrumental,” Mr. The band, playing countless bar dates around Florida and eventually beyond, evolved into a seven-piece with three guitars — Mr. The band’s breakthrough came in 1973, when the musician and producer Al Kooper caught a show in Atlanta, liked what he heard and signed the group to his Sounds of the South label. [a portrait of the band](https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/lynyrd-skynyrd) written for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted the group in 2006, another teenager, Ronnie Van Zant, was playing in a baseball game when he hit a foul ball that struck a spectator, Mr.