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According to the US rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, guitarist Gary Rossington passed away on Sunday. He was the last surviving founding member. He was 71.
The Southern rock band, founded by Rossington, is best known for the song “Sweet Home Alabama,” which was released in 1974.
The band announced on Facebook that Gary Rossington, a sibling, friend, family member, songwriter, and guitarist, passed away today.
Gary is currently playing it cool in heaven with his Skynyrd siblings and family, as he always does, it was added.
The band did not disclose the cause of death, but a statement from the group at the time stated that Rossington had a history of heart issues and had even undergone emergency heart surgery in 2021.
In 1964, Rossington, drummer Bob Burns, and bassist Larry Junstrom formed the first version of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rossington was born in the southern state of Florida in 1951.
The band’s 1973 song “Free Bird,” which lasted almost ten minutes, benefited from his distinctive slide guitar solos.
The guitarist endured a string of terrible mishaps in the 1970s, including a serious car accident in 1976 and the infamous plane disaster that claimed the lives of three band members in 1977.
When lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines perished in the accident, the band disbanded. However, they later reformed with new members in 1987, with Johnny Van Zant, Ronnie’s younger brother, taking the lead vocals.
With a festival date scheduled for this month, Rossington was the only founding band member who was still actively playing in the group.
The right-wing rockers were among the bands performing on the sidelines of the 2016 Republican National Convention.
