Gary Rossington, the only original member of the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died. The famous guitarist died on March 5, 2023, at the age of 71 years.
Rossington’s band shared the sad news that he had died on the social media site Facebook. Read on to find out what killed Lynyrd Skynyrd’s last founding member.
What Was the Cause Behind the Death of Gary Rossington?
Rossington was one of the original members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, a famous Southern rock band. Songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” were written by the singer and the guitarist, Gary. On Monday, March 6, 2023, the band Lynyrd Skynyrd told the sad news that Gary had died.
The band wrote on Facebook, “It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to tell you that today we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter, and guitarist, Gary Rossington.”
They went on to say, “Gary is now in heaven with his Skynyrd bandmates and family, acting like he always does.” Please pray for Dale, Mary, Annie, and the rest of the Rossington family, and give them their privacy during this hard time.”
Gary Rossington’s friends and family still don’t know the exact cause behind his death. This year, the musician who played with the band until he died in 2023 was going on tour.
Gary Rossington Was Suffering From Health Problems
Billboard said that Rossington had been having some health problems over the last couple of years. In the year 2003, he had five bypass operations. He had a heart attack later, in 2015. The Free Bird legend had also been through a number of surgeries. In 2019, the band had to put off their tour dates so that a heart valve could be fixed. This was their last tour.
Johnny Van Zant, a member of the band, told USA Today in 2019: “We’re lucky that people still want to hear and see us, and it’s just kept going. We started doing this because Gary was sick. He has a bad heart, and we wanted to tell everyone, “Hey, our time is almost up.”
Zant said, “We wanted to do it right, and so far I think we have. So, we’ll probably keep busy for another year and then see what happens next year, as long as Gary’s health is good.
Gary’s most recent surgery happened in 2021. He even took a break from Lynyrd Skynyrd at that point. Then, the band said that Gary had to stop touring for a while because of a serious health problem. Lynyrd Skynyrd said in a statement from July 2021 that Rossington was getting better after an emergency heart procedure.
The band wrote, “After everything we’ve been through this past year, with the government shut down and everything else, The Rossingtons told the band to go on tour without him. He wants everyone to know that he is doing well and should get better soon. We hope Gary gets better quickly and look forward to seeing the Skynyrd Nation soon.”
Everything About Gary Rossington
Gary Rossington was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in the United States, on December 4, 1951. According to the New York Post, his mother raised him alone after his father died soon after he was born.
Rossington met Larry Junstorm on bass and Bob Burns on drums in 1964. The three of them got along well because they all liked basketball and music. Rolling Stone says that in the same year, Ronnie Van Zant hit a line drive into Burns’ shoulder during a Little League game. This was the first time the world-famous band played together.
One afternoon, Gary, Burns, Van Zant, and Allen Collins, a guitarist, set up their instruments at Burns’ house in Jacksonville and played the Rolling Stones song “Time Is On Your Side” in a jam session. Later on, they decided to name their band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rossington played with the band till the time of his death.
Gary was also a founding member of the Rossington Collins Band, along with former bandmate Allen Collins. In 1980, the two of them got together to start the band. The band released two albums but broke up in 1982 after Collins’s wife, Kathy, died.
Then Rossington and his wife, Dale Krantz-Rossington, got together and started a band called The Rossington Band. In 1986, the band’s first album, Returned to the Scene of the Crime, came out. Their second album Love Your Man and their third album Take It On Faith came out in 1988 and 2016 respectively. Rossington’s wife, Dale Krantz-Rossington, and their two daughters will carry on after him.
In this difficult time, we send Gary Rossington’s loved ones our sincere condolences. May his soul rest in peace!
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