Skynyrd donates part of sales to rock hall

Johnny Van Zant had
considered going with his older brother in the plane that crashed 30 years ago.

By JOHN BENSON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

Less than two years after Lynyrd Skynyrd earned its rightful place among its peers as an inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the band members have learned there may be strings attached to the gig.

A portion of ticket sales from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s show tonight at Blossom Music Center will be donated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum education programs. Who knew the “Sweet Home Alabama” act would be in charge of fundraising and bake sales?

“Got to pay them back some way,” laughed singer Johnny Van Zant, calling from a hotel room in Syracuse, N.Y. “Anything we can do for the Hall of Fame. I just recently visited the rock hall, and I actually got to go in the vaults. There was like a signed picture from Elvis laying in the corner and then there was like Bob Seger’s first draft of ‘Against the Wind.’ It was just a totally cool thing to be there.”

For Lynyrd Skynyrd, triumph has always been tempered with tragedy. The group emerged with its 1973 album “Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd,” which included “Free Bird,” and quickly followed that up with 1974’s “Second Helping,” with its definitive song “Sweet Home Alabama.” However, a 1977 airplane crash took the lives of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines.

It wasn’t until the mid-’80s when Ronnie’s younger brother, Johnny, joined the act for a few tribute shows, that Lynyrd Skynyrd once again became a touring and recording group. Considering this year marks the 30th anniversary of the tragic plane crash, Van Zant talks about his memories of the days leading up to the accident.

“I was actually going to go and fly on the plane and go out with them on tour when the plane crashed,” Van Zant said. “I was going to have to skip [high] school and everybody was like “Ronnie is going to whip your --- man.” So I didn’t go, and who knows what fate was there.”

Fate has recently smiled on Lynyrd Skynyrd with its popularity among other musicians and fans seemingly at an all-time high level. Van Zant points to a recent trip to Disneyworld where he saw a handful of kids wearing Lynyrd Skynyrd shirts.

“I think it’s just a cool time for a new generation to experience Lynyrd Skynyrd music,” Van Zant said. “You got a lot of the new country acts that just love Lynyrd Skynyrd and a lot of the rock and rollers too.”

Looking ahead

The singer said the band is actually looking forward for the first time in many years, with another studio album slated for a 2008 release date. In the meantime, the group is sticking to its bread-and-butter schedule of touring, touring, touring.

“It’s a new experience every night for us,” Van Zant said. “We’ve got great production and the set has a few surprises. We’re looking forward to seeing the crowds. There’s nothing like a Skynyrd crowd.”

As previously mentioned, part of that crowd will be multigenerational fans and large extended families taking in a night of good old Southern rock ’n’ roll. Perhaps part of the band’s lasting appeal is that the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd have grown up alongside their audience.

For instance, guess what Van Zant was doing on Aug. 17 when the Disney Channel premiered the much ballyhooed “High School Musical 2” movie?

“Dude, I was at home with my 5-year-old daughter, waiting and watching the countdown time,” Van Zant said. “All my friends are like you’re watching ‘High School Musical 2?’”

He quipped, “I’m ruining my image.”