Following the news that Lynyrd Skynyrd’s last original member Gary Rossington passed away at the age of 71, Kid Rock took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute to the late guitarist.
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The social post features a snapshot of Kid Rock with Billy Powell, Gary Rossington, Steven Tyler, and Johnny Van Zant backstage during CMT Giants honoring Hank Williams Jr. in 2007.
Kid Rock recalled going to hear Rossington the Sunset Marquis while in Los Angeles recording All Summer Long. “I went there and played it for them and they all gave me [their] blessing and support to release it, especially Gary…Heck, Billy Powell even agreed to play piano on it, which he did! So many great memories with Gary.”
Kid also described Gary Rossington as being “one of the best to ever do it” and was a wonderful man. “My prayers go out to Dale, his family, and of course the band and all his friends. RIP Gary, your music and soul will rock on for eternity.”
On Sunday (March 5th), Lynyrd Skynyrd revealed the tragic news that Gary Rossington passed away. The legendary guitarist was one of the bandmates to survive the 1977 plane crash that killed six people, including Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines.
Rossington managed to walk away from the crash with two broken arms, one broken leg, and a punctured stomach as well as liver. Although he recovered physically from the disaster, the guitarist admitted he never quite got over the emotional trauma.
Although there hasn’t been news about the cause of death, Rossington had struggled with heart problems over the past two decades.
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Gary Rossington Had Emergency Heart Surgery in 2021
In July 2021, Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington ended up having to undergo emergency heart surgery, which caused the band to perform without him for a few shows. Billboard reported that Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Johnny Van Zant had revealed during one of the band’s shows that Rossington had to have an emergency stent put in.
“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,” Lynyrd Skynyrd shared in a Facebook post at the time. “Music is a powerful healer! We all felt playing the shows and bringing the music to y’all was a better option than cancelling the performances.”
Last November, Rossington told Rolling Stone that he doesn’t get enough oxygen in his blood to keep up and keep going like normal. “But I can still play good. It’s just the travel, It’s so hard on me, especially when you got heart trouble. It’s just really hard traveling and getting by with that stuff.”
