Today — Tuesday, March 5 — marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Gary Rossington, guitarist and sole remaining founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rossington passed away at the age of 72 at home in Milton, Ga., after a long history of heart-related diseases. Skynyrd has continued without him — as per Rossington's wishes — but guitarist Rickey Medlocke tells us that it's still hard being without him:
"Y'know, we're coming up on the one-year anniversary of Gary's passing. I still haven’t' settled with it yet. It's still a very raw spot in my heart. We do a tribute every night to Gary, to the song of 'Tuesday's Gone.' cant even look at the video." SOUNDCUE :26
Rossington co-founded Skynyrd during the mid-60s in Jacksonville, Fla. The group disbanded after a plane crash that killed three members and their tour manager in 1977, but Rossington put together a tribute tour 10 years later that wound up relaunching the band.
In addition to Skynyrd, Rossington from the Rossington Collins Band with fellow Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins, who died in 1980, as well as his own Rossington Band. He and his wife Dale Krantz-Rossington, who was part of Skynyrd and his other bands, also released their own album, "Take It On Faith," in 2016.
Medlocke, meanwhile, was originally with Skynyrd as a drummer from 1971-72 and played on early recordings of songs that became part of the group's first two albums. He and current frontman Johnny Van Zant — younger brother of original Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant — have spoken about working on a new band album comprised of songs they were working on with Rossington before his death.
Skynyrd kicks off a new leg of its Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with ZZ Top on March 8th in Savannah, Georgia. The trek has dates booked into September.