And the riffs he came up with and his leads were always like his personality. He was a shy guy, kinda quiet, and he had that mysterious quality, playing guitar with the long, drawn-out sustain. It was Gary’s sound and the tone and his connection with Ronnie in writing the songs that brought it all together Rickey MedlockeĪdds Van Zant, “I always thought Gary played like he acted. It was Gary’s sound and the tone and his connection with Ronnie in writing the songs that brought it all together.” If you go back into the early years when I first joined the band, just watching those two guys, Gary and Allen, work on those parts and the dual leads that would become great songs later on. “His presence and his talent was a very important part of the music and that band. “Gary Rossington played a very integral part in the creation of all of that,” notes Rickey Medlocke, the Blackfoot founder who played drums in Skynyrd circa 1970-’71 and rejoined as a guitarist in 1996.

Through the group’s many incarnations, Rossington’s presence was the essential tie to the band’s legacy, a black-clad, hat-wearing, Les Paul-slinging embodiment of credibility, speaking softly but hitting hard with his guitar, whether it was the fire of “Free Bird” or the aching gentleness of “Simple Man.” So I feel like there’s a whole bunch of people up on that stage.”

And every time we play, I feel the other guys’ spirits with us, and they’re helping and making sure everything is all right. “I’m just happy to still be doing it, going out and spreading the word about Skynyrd and all the great songs, and talking about Ronnie and Allen and Steve Gaines, and Leon and Billy and all the guys we lost, just keeping them alive.

“It’s heavy,” Rossington acknowledged at the time. (from left) Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington and Allen Collins work with producer Al Kooper on (Pronounced ’Leh-’nérd ’Skin-’nérd) as engineer Bob “Tub” Langford looks on, at Studio One, Doraville Atlanta, Georgia, May 6, 1973.

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