Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Johnny Van Zant recently offered an update on the legendary Southern rock band’s future and their ongoing motivation to perform live. The frontman, who is the younger brother of the group’s late original singer and songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, addressed the band’s longevity during an April 28 appearance on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk.”
When asked how long he and his bandmates plan to continue touring, Johnny Van Zant explained that a conversation with the late Gary Rossington, the band’s last surviving original member who passed away in March 2023, solidified their current path.
“Well, you know what?! Before Gary [Rossington, guitarist and sole surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd] died [in March 2023], he used to always call us ‘Bubba‘. He said, ‘I don’t know how much I’m gonna be able to play anymore’ and stuff. He said, ‘The Allman Brothers are gone.’ Now that Gregg‘s [Allman] gone, you don’t hear much about ’em. Charlie Daniels was a big influence on the guys. He’s passed away, and you don’t hear much about him. He goes, ‘Whenever I’m gone, man, I hope this music can carry on.’ So he was wanting it to carry on,” Johnny shared (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Honoring that wish remains a priority for the current lineup. “So as long as I have good health and got good people like [current Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarists] Damon Johnson, Rickey Medlocke and all the guys and girls in the band, we’ll see where it leads us,” the 66-year-old vocalist noted.
Ultimately, he leaves the final decision in the hands of the audience. “Hey, you know what?! I always say it’s up to the fans. You come out, we’ll play. ‘Cause I love doing it.
Stepping into his brother’s shoes a decade after the tragic 1977 plane crash that claimed the lives of three Lynyrd Skynyrd members, Johnny Van Zant has faced his share of critics. However, after nearly four decades fronting the group, he has learned to ignore the detractors and focus on the deep connection he shares with their dedicated fanbase.
“I’ve had people telling me, ‘Oh, you’re not Ronnie,’ ‘You’re not this,’ ‘You need to wear a cowboy hat, ‘You need to go shoeless.’ I said, ‘Well, that was Ronnie‘s thing. I’m Johnny.’ And 40 years next year is a long time that people have been coming back,” he explained.
“And they just love this music. They love what it is. It’s more than fans. I call it our Skynyrd Nation… They’re family to us, man. We’re The Grateful Dead of the south. They follow us around all summer and come to the same shows and just about hear the same set,” he concluded.
Lynyrd Skynyrd released their most recent full-length studio album, Last Of A Dyin’ Breed, in 2012. Since then, the band has issued only one new track, the 2020 single “Last Of The Street Survivors“. Co-written by Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, and Tom Hambridge, the song served as a nostalgic look back at their storied career and lost brothers. The track also shared its title with what was originally billed as the group’s farewell tour prior to the pandemic.
The Southern rock titans show no signs of slowing down on the road. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner recently announced a massive North American co-headlining tour scheduled for the summer of 2026.
