Guitarist Gary Rossington of the classic Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd announced, via the band’s social media, that he was recovering over the weekend following recent emergency heart surgery.
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Rossington, 69, who has been playing with the band since its earliest days in Jacksonville, FL, is the lone surviving original member of the group aside from estranged drummer Artimus Pyle. Gary told fans that he was resting at home with his family and expecting “a full recovery,” via a Facebook post from the band.
Skynyrd’s current lead singer, Johnny Van Zant, told fans during their recent concert in Minnesota that Rossington, who has a history of heart-related issues that the guitarist had been sidelined because he had to “have an emergency stent put in his heart.” Gary has undergone surgery before, once following a heart attack in 2015, and again to repair a heart valve in 2019, according to Rolling Stone.
Deciding to proceed with their scheduled dates in Rossington's absence, Skynyrd has welcomed Alabama guitarist Damon Johnson to fill in while he recovers.
The band said on Facebook, "The Rossington’s encouraged the band to go perform in his absence. Music is a powerful healer! We all felt playing the shows and bringing the music to y’all was a better option than cancelling the performances."
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