Since its 1973 breakout album “(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd),” Lynyrd Skynyrd has become synonymous with Southern rock. Songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Simple Man” have entered the canon of must-know American music. Any musician at every level of success has, at some point, been requested to play their debut hit “Free Bird” by one or another (disrespectful) concertgoer.
The subject of several definitive rock 'n' roll stories – interpersonal drama, a tragic plane crash, oft-misunderstood tension with fellow rocker Neil Young – the band’s larger-than-life history belies its modest beginnings in Jacksonville, Florida.
I had the opportunity to speak with the current singer, Johnny Van Zant, younger brother of former lead vocalist, Ronnie, prior to the band's upcoming show in Cincinnati. We talked about his upbringing and respect for the tradition of the band, the loss of the last founding member, guitarist Gary Rossington, and about his tenure in the '80s with the band Van Zant.
Q: Just as a quick introduction, I work for the Cincinnati Enquirer – freelance. I'm also a musician and a fan of Skynyrd. I've listened to Van Zant quite a bit too.
A: That's awesome. What do you play, man?
Q: Drums, guitar. Anything you don't have to blow into.
A: This is a fact that most people don't know about me. Whenever I was in high school, I played trumpet. I was full of hot air. What I really wanted to do in a band was play drums. I never could get the Don Henley thing of playing and singing. I wanted to do too many roles and not just keep a straight beat.
Q: How did you meet the Skynyrd folks? It must be an honor to be entrusted with the vocals for such a classic band.
A: I was born into it, but, man, it's been an honor. I've been singing these songs for 36 years, and now carrying that on after Gary Rossington passed this year. He was the last original member of the band. The music is bigger than any of us. It's a powerful thing. Music is a healer. And I know for myself, anytime I've ever had bad stuff, it's healed, or helped heal me. It's good therapy.
Q: Will you tell me about Gary? I'm sorry for your loss.
A: I've known Gary since I was a little kid. I grew up around the band whenever they first started out, way back when I was little, and my dad was always like, hey, listen, you can't be cussing, you can't be drinking, you can't be smoking. So unfortunately, my dad would be pretty mad at him. We've done a little bit of all of that and more over the years.
Just a great guy. Very soft-spoken person, but played a guitar like nobody else could. And that's all he wanted to do in life – play that guitar and love his family and his kids. I think he accomplished that. And that's a great thing to be able to say about someone. A good friend, a brother, and I miss him dearly.
Q: You all met and grew up in Jacksonville, and I'm wondering if there was something about that town that moved you all towards the Southern rock sound.
A: Music kept us all out of trouble. We were rich in family but poor in money, and so it wasn't like our parents could say, hey, we're taking you to Disney or this or that, because we just didn't have the money. We had a swing set and we had a circular drive. As kids, my family, we were always out there singing songs. Hey, did you hear this song? Yeah. How's that go? I think it came from that.
Way back when we had four channels on the TV with rabbit ears. You couldn’t watch anything like it is today. And one of those channels had "Hee Haw" and the other one had "The Ed Sullivan Show," so we watched those. It really was a simple time looking back on it.
Q: Van Zant has an '80s sound – different from Skynyrd – synths and all. What pushed you toward arena rock?
A: I grew up loving Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Merle Haggard and George Jones. I listened to everything. I still try to listen to everything. I'm still exploring. If you're a lover of music, I think you explore different styles, whether it's your style or not.
Q: How is the process of approaching a Skynyrd show different from writing a record or getting ready to play a Van Zant show?
A: For Skynyrd, I've had people go, "Why don't you play these songs from that era" or whatever. This is Skynyrd, and it's only Skynyrd. We have to pay respect, and that's what I'm going to do as long as I'm here.
Q: You've been singing with them for 36 years. How do you keep the energy up?
A: I think the love of music and the love of seeing people enjoy themselves. There's nothing that makes me feel better than to have a great show with Skynyrd. And I know that I'm doing the ones who have passed on justice, and also fans, because, again, people say that their fans are the best fans. We're generational. We have young, old, in between. It's an amazing thing.
Q: I'm also a Neil Young fan. And ever since “Sweet Home Alabama,” people assume Skynyrd's had a beef with him. What’s the status of that?
A: People don't realize that there's not a member in Lynyrd Skynyrd that doesn't like Neil Young. It was just poking at him a little bit because he was from Canada and he was singing about Alabama. We love Neil Young. Are you kidding? Neil Young's a great artist.
And what's funny is that we've always tried to hook up and do shows. Let's do some Neil Young shows. Who knows? Life’s not over with. Maybe we'll be able to. We go up to Canada and go into “(Sweet Home) Alabama," and I'll see everybody out there singing, and probably 99% of them think that we hate Neil Young. It’s just a joke.
ZZ Top & Lynyrd Skynyrd: The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with Uncle Cracker
When: 6:30 pm, Friday, Aug. 25.
Where: Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township.
Tickets: $34.50-$154.50.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMie2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNpbmNpbm5hdGkuY29tL3N0b3J5L2VudGVydGFpbm1lbnQvbXVzaWMvMjAyMy8wOC8yMi9seW55cmQtc2t5bnlyZC1zaW5nZXItc3F1YXNoZXMtbmVpbC15b3VuZy1iZWVmLzcwNjIyMjkyMDA3L9IBAA?oc=5
2023-08-22 05:01:44Z
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