Lynyrd Skynyrd/ZZ to bring ‘Sharp Dressed Simple Man’ tour to Macon

MACON – Titans of American classic rock Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top have announced a stop at the Macon Amphitheater on March 24 during the “Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour.”

Public ticket sales begin at 10 a.m. Friday. For ticket and select VIP packages, visit https://www.lynyrdskynyrd.com/#tour.

“That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” has been at it for well over a half-century, delivering rock, blues and boogie on stage and studio to millions of devoted fans. With iconography as distinctive as their sound, ZZ Top is globally recognized with their beards, hotrod cars, spinning guitars and that magic keychain, all of which transcend geography and language.

It was in 1969 Houston that ZZ Top coalesced from the core of two rival bands, Billy Gibbons’ Moving Sidewalks and Frank Beard and Dusty Hill’s American Blues. ZZ Top’s 1973 release, “Tres Hombres,” catapulted them to national attention with the hit “La Grange,” still one of the band’s signature pieces.

“Eliminator,” their 1983 album was something of a paradigm shift for ZZ Top. Their roots blues skew was intact and added to the mix came their high-tech trappings that soon found a visual outlet with such tracks as “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” on the nascent MTV. It was one of the record industry’s first albums to have been certified Diamond, far beyond Gold and Platinum, a reflection of sales exceeding 10 million units.

The band’s lineup of the bearded Gibbons and Hill and Beard, who ironically is clean-shaven, remained intact for more than 50 years. When Dusty temporarily departed the tour in the summer of 2021, Elwood Francis entered the picture accepting the directive from Dusty to be the perfect choice to stand in on the bass and now handles the low-end duties for the band for the present as well as into the future.

They have sold hundreds of millions of records over the course of their career, have been officially designated as Heroes of The State of Texas, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (by Keith Richards, no less) and have been referenced in countless cartoons and sitcoms.

As Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band’s critically acclaimed debut album, “Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd,’”they resonate as deeply with their multigenerational fan base today as when they first emerged out of Jacksonville, Fla., in 1973. Few ensembles have had the deep impact in creating a lifestyle as Skynyrd has. The band travels forward with a primary mission of celebrating a legacy that honors all who have contributed to the lives of hundreds of millions of fans globally.

Former members Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Ed King, Billy Powell, Bob Burns, and Leon Wilkeson alongside others will forever remain significant contributors to this indelible repertoire and the band’s colorful history.

Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks on with a current line-up featuring Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Damon Johnson, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle.

The rock and roll powerhouse continually tours, and as Van Zant says, “It’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about. There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music.”

With a catalog of more than 60 albums, billions of streams, and tens of millions of records sold, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remain a cultural icon that appeal to all generations.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is presented by Hell House Whiskey. The American spirit pays homage to the famous cabin where the band crafted countless legendary songs.

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