It's important to preserve legacy now more than ever. In the age of the internet and how fleeting history can feel in the digital age, it's important to magnify meaningful work. Without the proper care and maintenance, our art can exist as small relics of the past. We never want future generations to forget how much certain things meant in our moments in time. This is something that Lynyrd Skynyrd are especially concerned about it when it comes to their illustrious career.
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In fact, it was a mission statement one of their bandmates left behind for them to follow. Recently, group members Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlocke spoke with Fox News about the band. There, they highlight that guitarist and founding member Gary Rossington emphasized their legacy. When he was slowly withering away into death, he wanted Lynyrd Skynyrd to live on eternally. Because he couldn't do it forever, he tasked his bandmates to keep the flame alive without him. That way, the band would never be forgotten.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Open Up About The Importance of Keeping Their Legacy Alive Today
"He knew his health was getting bad and he had told me, he said... 'I've spent my life carrying on this legacy, and after I'm gone I don't want to see this band go away,'" Van Zant recalls. "So we brought in Damon Johnson to play guitar and Gary kind of mentored him, you know, some and came to rehearsal and, you know, he wanted this music to go on, man. I don't think me and Rickey would be here if Gary said, 'Hey, after I'm gone I want this to go away.' So, we're carrying out his wishes as long as we can."
Bringing in Damon was fundamental for Lynyrd Skynyrd at this time. Rossington had only reserved himself for special performances for the sake of his health. His final show was in November 2022 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. He passed away four months later.
To honor Rossington, they've taken the recording of his final show and released it for the world to hear. Not only was it a very seamless night but it also continues the band's mission statement on keeping the memory of Lynyrd Skynyrd alive. "It was a great night," Medlocke says. "The band was on it, and I think that he would give a thumbs up and say, 'Yeah, I love it, man. We did great out there.' It was real special for us, you know?"
