The legacy of Southern rock titans Lynyrd Skynyrd may soon see a poignant new chapter. In a revealing new conversation with Riff X‘s “Metal XS“, vocalist Johnny Van Zant and guitarist Rickey Medlocke dropped a bombshell for fans: the existence of a massive cache of unrecorded material featuring the late founding member Gary Rossington.
While discussing the band’s future, the duo confirmed that Rossington, who passed away in March 2023, is far from silent on the creative front.
“We have songs that we wrote with Gary that we never recorded,” Van Zant stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Medlocke elaborated on the discovery, explaining that the material surfaced shortly after the guitarist’s death, thanks to Rossington‘s widow. The find was substantial, containing roughly 30 tracks that capture the creative chemistry of the band’s modern era.
“We discovered [these songs] shortly after Gary‘s passing. They brought us a load of tapes and all this stuff — [Gary‘s] wife did — and we discovered we had about 30 songs that Gary had taken part with Johnny and myself and whomever,” Medlocke explained. “And you could hear him talking on the tapes and talking about lyrics and all that stuff. And Johnny and I started talking about doing — possibly doing — another Lynyrd Skynyrd record that included Gary‘s songs on it and stuff.”
The intention is clear: these songs deserve to be heard. “We’ll see what the future brings, but we would like to bring that to the forefront and get it to our fans,” Van Zant added.
The prospect of a new album has been simmering for some time. Nearly 18 months ago, Medlocke hinted to radio station 102.3 WBAB that a new project was in the works, viewing it as a necessary tribute to his fallen bandmate.
“It is a tribute, basically, to Gary, because we’re gonna include a lot of these songs that he wrote, co-wrote,” Medlocke said at the time. “Back when Gary got me back in the band, I promised him that I would be here until the last note of ‘Free Bird‘ was played. So here I am.”
If this project comes to fruition, it would mark Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s first studio album since 2012’s Last Of A Dyin’ Breed. The band’s most recent output was the 2020 single “Last Of The Street Survivors,” a track co-written by Rossington that served as a reflection on the band’s tragic and resilient history.
While fans await news on the studio front, they can catch the band live next summer. Lynyrd Skynyrd recently announced a massive co-headlining trek with classic rock legends Foreigner.
Dubbed the “Double Trouble Double Vision Tour,” the 19-city North American run kicks off on July 23 at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and wraps up on August 29 at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, Arkansas.
“Double Trouble Double Vision Tour” 2026 Dates:
Jul 23: Atlanta Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, GA
Jul 24: Charlotte PNC Music Pavilion, NC
Jul 25: Bristow Jiffy Lube Live, VA
Jul 26: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ
Jul 30: Toronto RBC Amphitheatre, ON
Jul 31: Clarkston Pine Knob Music Theatre, MI
Aug 01: Grand Rapids Acrisure Amphitheater, MI
Aug 06: Saint Louis Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, MO
Aug 07: Noblesville Ruoff Music Center, IN
Aug 08: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH
Aug 14: Kansas City Morton Amphitheater, MO
Aug 16: Shakopee Mystic Lake Amphitheater, MN
Aug 20: Camden Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, NJ
Aug 21: Wantagh Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, NY
Aug 22: Mansfield Xfinity Center, MA
Aug 23: Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, NY
Aug 27: Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion, TX
Aug 28: Dallas Dos Equis Pavilion, TX
Aug 29: Rogers Walmart AMP, AR
