He guitarist Gary Rossington, the only surviving founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrdhas died at 72 years oldas reported in the last few hours through their networks by this American band, author of hits such as Sweet Home Alabama. “It is with the deepest sadness that we have to announce the loss of our brother and friend, as well as a songwriter and guitarist. Gary is now with the rest of his Skynyrd brothers in heaven, playing beautifully as he always did,” the message reads. that demands respect for the privacy of the family. has not been revealed cause of death of the musician, who in 2015 suffered a heart attack and who in 2021 had to undergo urgent cardiac intervention.
Gary Rossington (Jacksonville, 1951) He founded Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1964 together with vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Allen Collins, drummer Bob Burns and bassist Larry Junstrom, using the name of the group after a gym teacher of some of the members.
turned into one of the most famous bandsLynyrd Skynyrd, with strong influences from southern rock, blues and hard rock, was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 and is estimated to be around sales of approximately 28 million records in the United States alone.
already with his first album, Pronounced ‘lĕh-‘nérd ‘skin-‘nérd (1973)the band achieved some notoriety thanks to what would become one of their classics, free birdof which Rossington was a substantial part as a guitar player of one of his most emblematic fragments.
despite the alcohol and drug problems that Rossington dragged along in those early years and that inspired the theme of the group That Smell, he became one of the most stable members in a band that often changed line-up. One of these reformulations was motivated by misfortune, when in 1977 they suffered a plane crash in which the singer died and in which he was one of the six survivors, although he suffered multiple fractures throughout his body that did not prevent him from playing again later.
In addition to Lynyrd Skynyrd, for a few years he also played with The Rossington Collins Bandfounded in 1980 with his former partner Allen Collins.
