If you are any sort of fan of "Classic Rock", you've already heard the Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington passed away last Sunday (385/2023), at the age of 71. I'm especially sad about this one, as Lynyrd Skynyrd was my favorite band during the second half of the 70's and they were the definitive act in the soundtrack of my high school years.
Most of the reports have mentioned that Rossington was the "last original member" of Skynyrd, which is accurate, if you consider "original" to mean the band as it was for their first two albums: Worth noting that Rickey Medlocke could be considered an original member, and appears on their "First and Last" album of early and unreleased music. He (Medlocke) left to form Blackfoot before Skynyrd broke big, but eventually rejoined the Post-crash version of the band (and is still a member). Medlocke is still alive. And Artimus Pyle was the drummer for the last 4 of the 6 albums by the "pre-Crash" Lynyrd Skynyrd, and he is still alive. None of which diminishes the loss of Gary Rossington.
Some personal memories of Lynyrd Skynyrd:
I discovered Lynyrd Skynyrd through the song "Sweet Home Alabama", when it was on the charts (late 1974). That was back in the days when we would record songs off the radio onto our (mono) cassette players, by propping the microphone in front of the speakers and pressing record when our favorite songs came on. I had a tape that included "Sweet Home..." and would listen to it (through those mono ear plugs) on road trips from Pittsburgh to North Carolina.
My first Lynyrd Skynyrd Album was "Pronounced...", which I picked up not too much later (1974 or early 1975). I had evolved to FM radio, and discovered "Free Bird", which impressed me enough to buy the album. Suffice to say, I was sold, and they were well on the way to be my favorite band.
When their 4th album was released (February 1976), the local radio station did a midnight playthrough. I stayed up late, and set the speakers from my all-in-one stereo on the floor and laid down between them so I could listen to the new album without waking my parents. Gimme Back My Bullets wasn't all that well received, but it was my favorite Skynyrd album at the time.
Just a few months later, April of 1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd was my first rock concert, playing Pittsburgh's Civic Arena with The Outlaws and Steve Marriot's All Star Band. A remarkable experience for a 15 year old kid, and still one of the best shows I've seen. This was after Ed King left, and before Steve Gains joined, and just a couple of months before they recorded their live album. I saw them again that December, but that first time was special.
When the Street Survivors album was released, I bought it at the first opportunity I had. Just a day or so later, I was hanging out at a friend's place when the news came on the radio that their plane had crashed. We stayed up late into the night waiting for news, wondering who was OK, and who wasn't....
When Rossington Collins Band came out in mid 1980, I had the opportunity to see them at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh. An emotional show, especially when they played "Free Bird" as an instrumental at the end...
Anyway, sorry for the length, but I felt like reminiscing....
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