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The Latest Breaking News from Lynyrd Skynyrd

“He only really ever played Free Bird on that guitar. I broke rank”: Charlie Starr on the spiritual moment he played Gary Rossington’s famed ‘Free Bird’ 1961 Gibson SG

Starr had the chance to use Rossington’s iconic Gibson to perform a Lynyrd Skynyrd medley last year, after it was announced the Les Paul/SG would be loaned out to a host of players for live use

Guitar World

How Jimmy Carter became the Rock’n’Roll President

IN FOCUS: The late 39th President of the United States had deep connections to musicians like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and The Allman Brothers. Kevin E G Perry looks back at how rock’n’roll shaped Jimmy Carter and helped carry him to the White House

The Independent UK

“The first big gig for Starship was opening for Skynyrd in Florida in front of like 30,000 people. I had all these note-for-note solos, going, ‘God, I hope I nail these!’” Alastair Greene played sideman to rock greats –before he came back to the blues

The guitarist recalls the stress of his no rehearsal debut for Starship, learning lessons from Robin Trower and growing up with Seymour Duncan

Guitar World

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“I could see and hear my brothers dying. It was the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone”: The horror of a rock band’s plane crash - by the guitarist who survived it

Six people died, including the band's singer

MusicRadar

“No one has ever played these instruments live other than Gary”: Gary Rossington’s ‘Free Bird’ Les Paul/SG will be loaned out for a series of A-list gigs – and Blackberry Smoke have already used it for a Lynyrd Skynyrd medley

The Chicago Music Exchange is working with Rossington’s family to help put the iconic guitar in the hands of big-name players, in a new initiative that aims to honor the late Southern rock icon’s legacy

Guitar World

Who Did Lee Corso Pick Today? Week 11 College GameDay Headgear Choice

Here's who Lee Corso picked on College Gameday ahead of the Alabama-LSU football game.

Sports Illustrated

The best new rock songs you need to hear right now

Including Larkin Poe, The Sheepdogs, Beth Hart (featuring Slash) and five other players, performers and portrayers, each another's audience outside the gilded cage

Louder

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"I'll be honest with you - the devil was my best friend at one time": Southern rockers Van Zant are on the road to redemption with Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ comes from the Lynyrd Skynyrd and 38 Special duo's seventh album Always Look Up

Louder

DNC Roll Call Song Choices Showcase Cultural Diversity

DNC roll call featured diverse state-specific songs like 'Sweet Home Alabama' and 'The Next Episode,' celebrating America's cultural richness.

Top News

“People go, ‘How can you write another Free Bird?’ And I go, ‘You can’t.’ Nobody could ever fill Ronnie’s shoes”: The unlikely second coming of Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited a decade after the plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant to launch their second act

Louder

“I don’t get into many fights now cos you get hit on the throat and you miss a gig”: The explosive rise of Lynyrd Skynyrd, America’s greatest southern rock band

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s classic debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) was released on August 13, 1973, setting them on the path to stardom

Louder

“Gary Rossington came over and played it with me, and 12-year-old me was just floating on a cloud. He and I connected in this real spiritual way”: Marcus King names 6 guitar riffs that shaped his sound – from Lynyrd Skynyrd to his dad's metal moment

The blues rock guitar hero tells us about his meaningful connection to Saturday Night Special and reveals five more of his favorite riffs

Guitar World

“I don’t think Leon knew where any of the bass notes were. He played totally by instinct, and his instincts were usually right”: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Leon Wilkeson was the ‘Mad Hatter’ of bass – as evidenced by his bassline on What’s Your Name

Lynyrd Skynyrd icon Ed King pays tribute to bassist Leon Wilkeson

Guitar World

“Gary wasn't feeling too good, but he was at rehearsal, and I played his solo. I saw a twinkle in his eye when I played that”: Marcus King recalls playing with Gary Rossington at the late Lynyrd Skynyrd legend’s final show

King joined his hero during the band's 50th Anniversary show in November 2022 to perform Saturday Night Special – a track that had hugely influenced him as an aspiring guitar player

Guitar World

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Metal Hammer

“Lots of people hated it at first. Fans wanted them to do Kill ’Em All 20 per cent faster”: how Metallica defied the haters and changed the course of metal with Ride The Lightning

Metallica’s second album Ride The Lightning turns 40 on July 27 – this is how they made one of metal’s greatest records

Guitar World

“I still have my uniform on, and I said, ‘I’ve been at work all day and I cut off all my hair.’ Gary said, ‘Bring your guitar. I’ll see you at six’”: Steve Morse quit music to become an airline pilot – until Lynyrd Skynyrd persuaded him to return

Steve Morse has opened up about his stint away from the music industry, and explained how playing on a Lynyrd Skynyrd live album reignited his passion for playing guitar professionally

Guitar World

“That amp quite literally changed my life”: Damon Johnson explains why finding the right amp kickstarted his career

Back in 1990, Johnson bought a pricey but career-changing amp that he says “was worth every penny”

Louder

"It's lovely to wake up in the morning and be able to remember why you got punched in the head the night before": Pete Agnew and the continuation of Nazareth

With Dan McCafferty gone and their glory days behind them, Nazareth's last surviving original member, Pete Agnew, cannot imagine life without the band

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Guitar World

How to play Sweet Home Alabama on guitar

Learn one of the most iconic guitar intros of all time from this Lynyrd Skynyrd classic

Guitar World

“Thin Lizzy prepared me for Skynyrd. They said, ‘You need to learn these songs note for note.’ I said, ‘I wouldn’t dream of doing it any other way’”: Damon Johnson on having one of rock’s most enviable resumés – and why Eddie Van Halen gifted him a guitar

From touring with Van Halen, to finding his own niche as a blood-and-guts player with some of rock’s biggest names

Guitar World

“I played note-for-note. Those albums are the soundtrack to people's lives. I wanted to hear them how it was supposed to be”: Damon Johnson on how he came to play with Thin Lizzy and Lynyrd Skynyrd – and his identical approach for both gigs

Johnson has been tasked with filling roles held by a string of iconic guitarists – and he's been determined to do the source material justice every time

Broadcasting & Cable

Tom Wills Delivers Final Newscast in Jacksonville Today

Has interviewed several presidents, and went into the woods to investigate Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash

Newcastle Herald

Bird-brained recruit misfires rear gun at Fort Scratchley, hits president, misses his brother

Meet the Wing Commander; Fort Scratchley's newest recruit.

Louder

"Roy Thomas Baker would organise food fights and set fire to the mixing desk": How Bill Nelson built up then broke up Be-Bop Deluxe

Bill Nelson on Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the brilliant five-album career of art-rockers Be-Bop Deluxe

Louder

"Jimi Hendrix lived a block from me in New York. We jammed together a lot": Al Kooper's stories of the Rolling Stones, The Who, Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh and more

He freaked out Lynyrd Skynyrd, produced The Tubes and more, hung out at Keith Moon’s house and had George Harrison hang out at his. He's the legendary Al Kooper

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