ICONIC lead guitarist for rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has passed away at the age of 71 a spokesperson for the band has confirmed, as fans and friends have taken to social media to pay tribute.
Gary Rossington was the last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd starting in 1964 with the band.
Fans have stormed to Twitter to pay their respects to the legendary guitarist.
“I was saddened to learn that Gary Rossington, lead guitarist & last original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died at 71,” one fan wrote.
“He was one of the ‘Street Survivors’ of the 1977 plane crash that killed three members including lead singer Ronnie Van Zant three days after that album’s release,” the fan added.
Another fan wrote: “I consider @Skynyrd to be one of America’s three greatest rock bands ever and a Southern rock-style Led Zeppelin.”
He continued: “Gary Rossington’s influence and talent was a huge part of that. His place in music history should not be underestimated. Gary Rossington, RIP.”
Read our Gary Rossington blog for the latest updates…
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Records released by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd has released a plethora of albums throughout their historic run.
The band has released 14 studio albums, 6 live albums, and 5 video albums.
Lead guitarist Gary Rossington was the last original member of the band after it was confirmed he died Sunday.
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Guitarist pays tribute
Guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd honored Gary Rossington on Twitter after learning of the late icon’s passing.
He wrote: “Rest in Peace my man. @garyrossington One of the best to ever do it. And thank you and @skynyrd for all the great memories on the road over the years.”
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‘One day we had everything, the next day there was nothing’
Gary Rossington commented on the horrific plane crash that took the lives of most of his bandmates.
Rossington was the only remaining member because the others have tragically passed away over the years.
In 1977, Van Zant died in a tragic plane crash that also injured Rossington and Collins.
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Original members of Lynyrd Skynyrd
Formed in the summer of 1964, there were five original members based out of Jacksonville, Florida.
Those members included:
- Gary Rossington
- Ronnie Van Zant
- Bob Burns
- Allen Collins
- Larry Junstorm
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Previous heart problems
In October 2015, Rossington suffered a heart attack and in 2018, he told the Tampa Bay Times that he had previously survived a quintuple bypass surgery.
He also told the paper that he has had “a lot” of heart attacks on stage.
While the band is currently on tour, the Facebook post said that Rossington has “encouraged the band to go perform in his absence.”
“After this past year, the country being shut down and everything we have all been thru, The Rossington’s encouraged the band to go perform in his absence,” the band said. “Music is a powerful healer! We all felt playing the shows and bringing the music to y’all was a better option than canceling the performances.”
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Rossington’s fame and fortunes
Being an American musician and founder of Lynyrd Skynyrd comes with a nice pay day.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rossington has an estimated net worth of $40million.
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Prior to going with the name Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band was originally named The Noble Five and The One Perfect.
Since 1991, the band has sold over 20 million albums and produced 14 studio albums.
Rossington was the only original member of the band and in 2006, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Millions of albums sold
Since 1991, the band has sold 28 million albums in the US since when Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales.
This number doesn’t include the album sales for the band’s first 17 years.
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Tributes continue to flood into social media
Friends and fellow rock legends have taken to social media to mourn the gone-too-soon star and remember his illustrious career.
“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,” said country singer Travis Tritt in a tweet after admitting he was heartbroken.
“My heart goes out to Dale and the girls.”
Southern rock legend Charlie Daniels said: “The last of the Free Birds has flown home.”
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Survived a plane crash
Rossington went down in history for surviving a horrific 1977 plane crash that stole to lives of four fellow bandmates, including frontman Ronnie Van Zant.
The surviving guitarist broke both of his legs, arms, ankles, and his pelvis in the devastating crash.
The group had just released their fifth studio album at the time, which went on to be a success.
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Rossington previously had surgery
On July 23, 2021, the band announced that Rossington was recovering from a heart procedure.
“After this past year, the country being shut down and everything we have all been thru, The Rossington’s encouraged the band to go perform in his absence,” the band wrote in a now heartbreaking statement.
“He wants everyone to know he is doing good and expects a full recovery.
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The cause of death
At this time there no details were provided about his cause of death.
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Band statement
The band has released a statement informing the public of the iconic guitarist’s death.
The statement reads:
“It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today,” the band wrote in a statement.
“Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does.
“Please keep Dale, Mary, Annie and the entire Rossington family in your prayers and respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time.”
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Gary Rossington has died
The last surviving original member of the legendary American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has passed away after years of struggles with health issues.
Gary Rossington, the lead guitarist who started with the band in 1964, died on Sunday, a spokesperson confirmed. He was 71.
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