Iconic Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd will be the guests of honor at a tribute concert on November 12, 2014, following a busy summer tour celebrating 40 years of playing and recording music. “One More for the Fans: Celebrating the Songs & Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd” will feature performances by country, rock and Southern Rock artists backed by a house band led by Grammy-winner Don Was.
The multi-genre, all-star lineup includes Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, Charlie Daniels, Alabama, Jason Isbell, Peter Frampton, Greg Allman, Blackberry Smoke, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt, Cheap Trick and Donnie Van Zant as well as some special guests who will be announced at a later date and some surprise guests. The audience will also be treated to a performance by Lynyrd Skynyrd themselves.
Skynyrd’s 1976 Live Album One More For the Fans was recorded at the Fox Theatre as part of an effort to save the historical building.
Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2006 at the 21st Annual Induction Ceremony where they performed classic hits “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Freebird.” Skynyrd’s influence on all genres, but especially country music, is evident and undisputed.
In 2004 the band performed on Season 3 Episode 5 of “CMT Crossroads” shows with country duo Montgomery Gentry (Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry). The show opened with a rocking version of Skynyrd’s “The Breeze” on-stage and a slowed-down bluesy version of “Curtis Lowe” sung acoustically while sitting around outdoors on bales of hay.
Gentry pays tribute to Skynyrd’s influence on their music during the episode: “I wanna tell you man, this is a dream come true for Eddie and I, man. These guys, we grew up playing in our garages and in the bars paying our rent and singing their music! It’s a pleasure to be here tonight with our mentors.”
“Sweet Home Alabama: The Country Music Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd” was released in 2010 to honor their contributions. Produced by Jay Joyce, the album features country musicians Shooter Jennings, Jamey Johnson, Eli Young Band, Randy Houser and Eric Church.
Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded their first demos at historic Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The band had just released “Sweet Home Alabama” and was headed out for an international headlining tour, but was halted for a time forty years ago by a plane crash in which three members of the band, including original lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, along with others on board, lost their lives. A 10-year hiatus ensued, during which the only time the group performed was for Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jam, where they played an instrumental version of “Freebird”.
In 1987 five members of the original band united with Van Zant younger brother Johnny as the lead vocalist, to record a Double-Live album and tour, both intended as a tribute to the original band, “Southern By the Grace of God: Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour 1987”. Since then the group, although undergoing a series of changes in members, has continued recording new music and touring the world and has a faithful fan following they refer to as “Skynyrd Nation”. Their most recent album Last of a Dyin’ Breed was recorded in 2012.
The current group band consists of original member Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, and 1970s to present member Rickey Medlocke; joined by more recent additions Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Johnny Colt and Peter Keys, as well as “The Honkettes” female vocalists Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase.
The band is well-known for its dedication to our U.S. military. Other Skynyrd hits include “Simple Man”, “Tuesday’s Gone”, “Gimme Three Steps” “Red, White and Blue” and “Gimme Back My Bullets”. The tribute show, will be taped live and released at a later date. Keith Wortman is the Creator and Executive Producer, and Ken Levitan and Ross Schilling are also Executive Producers. Tickets for “One More for the Fans” go on sale to the public August 18.
For more information: CelebrateSkynyrd.com
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