Rossington surgery forces Skynyrd tour cancellations

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Due to illness, Lynyrd Skynyrd were forced to postpone shows for their “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour” over the weekend. The Friday date at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas has been rescheduled for Oct. 18 and the Saturday performance at Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland, California, is set for Oct. 19. Bad Company will remain as special guests/co-headliners for the rescheduled Las Vegas date Oct. 18. Tickets purchased for the original Aug. 16 and 17 dates will be honored for the rescheduled dates in October.

Guitarist and original Lynyrd Skynyrd member Gary Rossington had been experiencing fatigue and other symptoms related to a leaky heart valve. Rossington underwent a procedure on July 31 to repair the valve. To allow him proper time to recover, the band had to reschedule the upcoming tour dates. Rossington is expected to make a full recovery.

“We all appreciate the well-wishes for Gary and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused,” Johnny Van Zant, the band’s lead vocalist, said in a news release. “But he can’t wait to come back and perform at 100% for the fans. We will see you all soon.”

Last year, the Southern Rock icons announced that after a career that has spanned more than 40 years and includes a catalog of more than 60 albums with more than 30 million units sold, they would embark on their “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour.” Produced by Live Nation, the career-concluding farewell tour logged more than 50 stops by the end of 2018 and has continued throughout 2019, taking the band across the country and around the globe, giving fans one last unforgettable night of classic American Rock and Roll.

The “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour” marks a big moment for generations of fans, as Lynyrd Skynyrd have been touring consistently since the ’90s. The band, that USA Today called the “whiskey-soaked genre’s most popular and influential crew,” is ready to rock one last time. The farewell tour will take original member Rossington, joined by Van Zant, Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Dale Krantz Rossington, Carol Chase and special guest Jim Horn across the country over the next year.

The legendary rockers are best known for the RIAA Platinum-certified “Sweet Home Alabama” and self-proclaimed signature song, “Free Bird,” that Rolling Stone said was “easily the most requested live song in existence.” With everlasting hits such as “Simple Man,” “Gimme Three Steps,” “What’s Your Name,” “Call Me The Breeze,” “You Got that Right,” and more, it is easy to see why Rolling Stone named Lynyrd Skynyrd one of its 100 Greatest Bands of All Time.

Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour Upcoming 2019 U.S. Dates

Aug. 23, Irvine, Calif., FivePoint Amphitheatre, presented by Mercury Insurance

Aug. 24, Concord, Calif., Concord Pavilion

Aug. 30, Camden, N.J., BB&T Pavilion

Aug. 31, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Sept. 13, Southaven, Mass., Bank Plus Amphitheater

Sept. 14, Alpharetta, Ga., Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

Sept. 20, Salt Lake City, Utah, USANA Amphitheater

Sept. 21, Denver, Colo., Fiddler’s Green

Sept. 22, Albuquerque, N.M., Isleta Amphitheater

Sept. 27, Jackson, Miss., Brandon Amphitheater

Sept. 28, Orange Beach, Ala., The Wharf Amphitheater

Oct. 11, Manchester, Tenn., Exit 111 Festival

Oct. 12, Little Rock, Ark., First Security Amphitheater

Oct. 18, Las Vegas, Nev., T-Mobile Arena

Oct. 19, Wheatland, Calif., Toyota Amphitheatre

Scheduled to perform with Skynyrd at various stops on the tour are Cody Jinks, Hank Williams Jr., Bad Company and ZZ Top.

For tour lineups and VIP Packages are available at lynyrdskynyrd.com.

Original members Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington and Larry Junstrom formed Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1964. Originally known as My Backyard, the band changed to its famous name in the early 1970s and became popular in the Jacksonville, Fla., area, where the original members were from. They signed with Sounds of the South Records in 1972 and released their self-titled disc the following year. The album, which featured “Free Bird,” arguably the most-recognized single in the Southern Rock genre, has sold more than 2 million units since its release. Later down the road the band recorded iconic tracks “Sweet Home Alabama” and “What’s Your Name.”

The band’s story took a tragic turn in October 1977 when a plane crash took the lives of Van Zant, Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and several of their road crew. The band took a decadelong hiatus before reuniting for a tour and live album, “Southern by the Grace of God.” Since then, the band has toured and recorded extensively, with their most recent release being “Last Of A Dyin’ Breed.” The band’s current lineup includes original member Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

Special Photo: Doltyn Snedden