Lynyrd Skynyrd returned to the road Sunday for the first time since founding guitarist Gary Rossington‘s death. Rossington, who was the last surviving original member of the legendary Southern rock band, died earlier this month after spending the past few years battling a series of health problems.
Performance and home videos of Rossington played on the giant screen behind the band during its performance of “Tuesday’s Gone” at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Fla.
You can see video and the set list from the show below.
Singer Johnny Van Zant paid tribute to his late bandmate while Damon Johnson, who has been filling in for Rossington at live shows since 2021, played the song’s distinctive guitar figures. “Damon Johnson playing it pretty for Mr. Gary Rossington, up in rock ’n’ roll heaven,” Van Zant said. At the conclusion of the song, the words “Gary Rossington 1951-2023: Your Legacy Lives on Forever” appeared on the screen.
“We felt you there with us last night, Gary,” the band wrote in a Facebook post the day after the show. “Looking down from Rock N’ Roll Heaven and helping us get through one of the toughest shows of our lives. We felt you during the nuances of ‘Free Bird,’ ‘Tuesday’s Gone,’ ‘Saturday Night Special.’ We felt you in the roar of the crowd as they cheered your name and stood up for most of the night. And we will forever feel you on any stage and in our hearts as Skynyrd’s music continues to move billions of people across the world. We love you brother.”
According to their website, Lynyrd Skyrnrd is scheduled to perform a handful of shows in the coming months before joining ZZ Top for the Sharp Dressed Simple Man tour, which kicks off July 21 in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Watch Lynyrd Skynyrd Perform ‘Tuesday’s Gone’ on March 12, 2023
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City, Fla., 3/12/2023
1. “Workin’ for MCA”
2. “What’s Your Name”
3. “You Got That Right”
4. “Whiskey Rock-a-Roller”
5. “The Needle and the Spoon”
6. “That Smell”
7. “Cry for the Bad Man”
8. “Saturday Night Special”
9. “Gimme Back My Bullets”
10. “Tuesday’s Gone”
11. “Red White & Blue (Love it or Leave)”
12. “Simple Man”
13. “Gimme Three Steps”
14. “Call Me the Breeze”
15. “Sweet Home Alabama”
16. “Free Bird”
Lynyrd Skynyrd Albums Ranked
From the classic lineup to the reunion era, we rank Skynyrd’s LPs from worst to best.