Lynyrd Skynyrd to begin tour in New Orleans

By The Associated Press | The Natchez Democrat

Published Wednesday, August 6, 2008

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Lynyrd Skynyrd may have dozens of albums after three decades of rocking, but guitarist Gary Rossington knows fans love to relive the band's heyday, dancing to "Sweet Home Alabama" or firing up their lighters for "Free Bird."

That's why the long-haired Southern rockers' summer tour with Kid Rock — which kicks off Friday in New Orleans — will feature those and other classics, such as "Tuesday's Gone," ''Gimme Three Steps," ''Simple Man" and "Saturday Night Special."

"It's like sing-along with Skynyrd night," said Rossington, one of the original members of the band that launched to stardom in the early 1970s.

Rossington, 56, said he's grateful people still appreciate the group's music after all these years. The band first performed "Free Bird" in 1970 in Jacksonville, Fla., where the original band members grew up and got their start.

"To see fans singing our songs and loving them and dancing or crying to some of them, it feels like the first time you ever played it," he said. "It really gets to you, like day one."

The band was one of the South's most popular rock groups at the time of the Oct. 20, 1977, plane crash near McComb, Miss., that claimed the lives of six people, including the band's lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant.

Rossington was among those on board.

It was 10 years before a fresh incarnation of the band hit the touring circuit again. They launched a comeback tribute tour in 1987 and have since toured with ZZ Top, Bad Company, Free and others. It would be another four years before the group made it to Baton Rouge, their destination at the time of the crash.

Rossington said one of his most memorable moments was celebrating his birthday on the road with The Who in 1973. Who guitarist Pete Townshend — well-known for his antics smashing guitars on stage — presented Rossington with a gift that only the high-energy rocker could deliver.

Townshend smashed a cake in his face.

"I had to get on stage with cake all over me," Rossington said, laughing.

Rossington said working with Kid Rock, who is currently on probation for his role in a fight at a suburban Atlanta Waffle House last fall, reminds him a lot of last year's touring partner, country rock singer Hank Williams Jr.

"They're like clowns and birds, you just don't know what they're gonna do," he said.

Concert organizers say Kid Rock's recent legal troubles will not affect the upcoming summer tour, which includes stops in Texas, Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, Connecticut and Canada.

They are also scheduled to perform Aug. 22 at New York City's Bryant Park for a free show being presented by Good Morning America.

Rossington said the band has a strong history with New Orleans, so the members decided to launch the summer tour there to pitch in as the city continues to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

"We're not the kind to come in and start building houses and stuff, but we're bringing our music there," he said. "In our early days, that was one of our favorite places to play and eat red beans and rice. With everything that's happened, it just seemed a great place to start off."

The band performed in New Orleans last year. Rossington said the group will tour again next year when it releases its new album. They have recorded four songs and are slated to record the rest later this year, he said.

In all, Lynyrd Skynyrd has released nearly 65 albums with more than 26 million sold. They continue to attract new generations of fans who enjoy old hits as well as newer ones, such as 2003's hit single "Red White and Blue."

Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2006 with Miles Davis, Blondie, Black Sabbath and the Sex Pistols.