Celebrating 50 Years (Live At The Ryman) Lynyrd Skynyrd

• 1 What's Your Name (Live) 04:03
• 2 Workin' for MCA (Live) 04:59
• 3 You Got That Right (Live) 03:56
• 4 I Know A Little (Live) 03:31
• 5 Down South Jukin' (Live) 03:07
• 6 That Smell (Live) 06:04
• 7 Cry For The Bad Man (Live) 04:32
• 8 Saturday Night Special (Live) 05:52
• 9 Tuesday's Gone (Live) 06:42
• 10 Red White And Blue (Live) 03:59
• 11 Simple Man (Live) 07:03
• 12 Gimme Three Steps (Live) 05:04
• 13 Call Me The Breeze (Live) 06:06
• 14 Sweet Home Alabama (Live) 06:46
• 15 Freebird (Live) 12:24
• Total Runtime 01:24:08

Info for Celebrating 50 Years (Live At The Ryman)

This special release holds profound significance as it features the final performance of founding member Gary Rossington. Featuring guests such as Jelly Roll, Brent Smith (Shinedown), John Osborne (The Brothers Osborne), Marcus King, Donnie Van Zant (38 Special), and more, the album showcases the band's unparalleled energy, their signature blend of blues rock and Southern hard rock swagger and stands as both a heartfelt tribute to Rossington and a celebration of Lynyrd Skynyrd's lasting legacy in music history.

We are so grateful to the devoted fans for their support throughout the years of transitions and losses. Last year we lost the great Mr. Gary Rossington. We unknowingly were able to have captured his final performance with us. It's bittersweet but what a special place to have had his final performance, the mother ship of music - The Ryman Auditorium!" "It was a very special night with incredibly talented guest as we honored the iconic musicality of Skynyrd. We are so grateful to the Ryman and to all of those have work so hard to make this project become a reality!

This will forever be a keepsake in our hearts, and we are so happy to be able to share it with our Skynyrd Nation", he continued. "Few bands have left such a lasting impact on rock music as Lynyrd Skynyrd", stated Serafino Perugino, President & CEO of Frontiers Label Group. "It is an honor to work with such an iconic name, and we can't wait to bring fans something truly special." Tom Lipsky, Head of A&R of North America for Frontiers Label Group, added: "Gary Rossington touched the world with his songwriting and inspired us for decades onstage. It is an honour to bring the words and music of Lynyrd Skynyrd to the fans via Gary's final performance, surrounded by his Lynyrd Skynyrd family as together they delivered an unforgettable concert experience at The Ryman!"

"We are excited to bring 50 Years of Skynyrd to the fans. The Rossington family felt it was important to share Gary's last performance with everyone. It was a special night with incredibly talented guest artists, honoring the iconic songs of Skynyrd in the mother church of music, The Ryman Auditorium", commented Ross Schilling, Vector Management.

With over 28 million records sold in the U.S. and a sound as iconic as the American culture it celebrates, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd continue to inspire fans of all ages while embodying the very soul of Southern rock. From their humble Jacksonville beginnings, through tragedy, reunion, and redemption, the band has earned it's place on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" - as well as a prominent spot in the hearts of generations.

In 2023, with the 50th anniversary of their pioneering debut album "(Pronounced 'Leh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)" the band continues to tour, record, and delight their hundreds of millions of global fans with an eye on both the future and their rich history. Originally formed in 1964 as My Backyard, the band evolved into Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1968, with a lineup featuring Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass), and Bob Burns (drums).

Their 1973 debut album introduced the world to their unmistakable blend of blues, country, and hard rock. Hits like "Sweet Home Alabama" and the timeless "Free Bird" cemented their status as pioneers of the genre. At the peak of their success, in 1977, a devastating plane crash claimed the lives of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backup vocalist Cassie Gaines, leaving the music world in shock. Despite the unimaginable loss, Lynyrd Skynyrd's legacy endured, and their music remained a beacon of Southern rock. In 1987, the band reformed with Ronnie's younger brother, Johnny Van Zant, taking the lead as lead vocalist. Lynyrd Skynyrd continued to tour and record, with guitarist Rickey Medlocke returning to the fold in 1996. Throughout the years, the band remained a driving force in rock, honouring their roots while bringing their signature sound to new audiences.

Recognized as one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and ranked No. 95 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time." With over 28 million records sold in the United States alone, their impact on music is undeniable. Though founding member Gary Rossington's passing in 2023 marked the end of an era, Lynyrd Skynyrd's influence remains stronger than ever. Their enduring music, spirit, and legacy will forever stand as a testament to the power of rock and roll. Lynyrd Skynyrd

Beyond the tragedy, the history, the raging guitars and the killer songs, ultimately, Lynyrd Skynyrd is about an indomitable will. About survival of spirit; unbowed, uniquely American, stubbornly resolute.

With their first set of new studio material since 2003’s Vicious Cycle, legendary rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd returns with God & Guns, due out September 29 on Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records. Recorded in Nashville in 2008-2009, the project was interrupted—but, tellingly, not ended—by the deaths of founding member/keyboardist Billy Powell and longtime bassist Ean Evans earlier this year.

Driven by core members Gary Rossington (guitar), Johnny Van Zant (vocals) and Rickey Medlocke (guitar), along with longtime drummer Michael Cartellone, Lynyrd Skynyrd have recorded an album (“under duress, as usual,” according to Van Zant) that very much lives up to the legacy begun some 35 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida, and halted for a decade by the 1977 plane crash that killed three band members, including Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines. Since then, the band tragically lost Allen Collins, Leon Wilkeson and Hughie Thomasson, yet they rock on.

With the passing of Powell and Evans, “a lot of people probably expected us to say enough is enough,” admits Medlocke. But that would not be the way of this Rock & Roll Hall of Fame powerhouse. With a catalog of over 60 albums and sales beyond 30 million, Lynyrd Skynyrd remains a cultural icon that appeals to all generations, and God & Guns is a fitting addition to the canon. The Skynyrd Nation awaits.

“We wanted to show the people that not only are we doing the old material, keeping the music going, but we still have some new tricks up our sleeves, too,” says founding guitarist Gary Rossington.

Returning to the studio after the death of Powell, whose keyboards can be heard on more than half the songs on God & Guns, was “very difficult, I ain’t gonna lie to you,” says Van Zant. “But we got through it, as Lynyrd Skynyrd seems to always do. Music’s a great healer. These songs needed to be out there, this record needed to be made. Gary, Rickey and myself just said ‘let’s go for it, let’s get this thing done.’”

Unfortunately, coping with loss is familiar to this band. “We just kind of fell back in,” says Rossington. “We’ve been doing this a long time, so you just kind of do what you do. As you get older, you get a little more used to it. You know it’s coming, and it’s coming to you, too. I just thank God for every day and all the time I had with the guys that aren’t with us anymore.”

The crying is over and now it’s time to rock. “We’ve had some really bad moments this year already, and I’m glad we’re able to pick ourselves up by our boot straps and just continue to play,” says Medlocke. “For us to weather through this makes this record even more special. I’m sure Billy and Ean are looking down upon us with big smiles.”

With noted rock producer Bob Marlette, input from guitarist John 5, and a wealth of material written by the band and a cadre of elite Skynyrd-minded songwriters, a remarkable album emerged. “We never really worked with producers that well, we kind of always wanted to do it our way,” admits Rossington. “But Bob Marlette came on and he’s such a great guy; he figured out how to talk to us musically, and we became friends instantly. He had a lot of fresh ideas and ways to do things, and also wanted to capture the old sounds, too.”

Of John 5, Rossington adds, “he’s probably one of the best guitar players I’ve ever played with, and I’ve played with a lot of great ones. He just lives with a guitar on him, and he knows that neck like nobody I’ve ever seen.”

With a backbone of Southern rock and country, passionate Van Zant vocals, and trademark layered guitars, God & Guns manages to maintain the iconic Skynyrd punch while sounding completely contemporary. Sure to attract attention in these politically divided times is the title track, which harbors a sense of menace and unwillingness to back down that hearkens back to Skynyrd’s earliest days. The band knows the song, and others like “That Ain’t My America,” will have their critics, but Medlocke says listeners should get beyond the title.

“It’s not just the words ‘God and guns.’ you gotta look past that and look at what this country was founded on: freedom,” Medlocke says. “Everybody should be able to make their own decisions and not be led around by a nose ring and told what to do and when to do it.”

And if some critics don’t like it, “that’s called freedom of choice,” says Medlocke, who carries his Native American heritage with pride. “I’m sure some critics will look at it, God & Guns, the rednecks are back.’ Well, the guys in this band aren’t rednecks, Rickey Medlocke’s the only damn redneck in this band ‘cause I got red skin.”

The title track, along with the unmistakable Skynyrd bite of the first single “Still Unbroken,” form thematic songs for an album laden with attitude, heart and purpose. “Skynyrd’s about tradition,” says Medlocke. “We are guys that don’t go around preaching about our own personal or political beliefs, although I’m sure you could probably guess mine. In this record is personal tragedy, personal relationships and being on the road, all under that umbrella of real life. That’s what we think, that’s what we believe, and we stand next to that title, God & Guns.”

To portray Skynyrd as a bunch of “gun nuts” would be incorrect, according to Van Zant. “I’m kind of like Ronnie, ‘handguns are made for killing,’ and I’ve never seen anybody shoot a deer with a .38,” he says. “I do own a bunch of rifles, I live out in the swamp, and you’ve got to protect yourself.”

Skynyrd is a band, after all, that has never shied away from standing up and speaking for a segment of the population whose voices are seldom heard. “Everybody’s so scared to say stuff these days, that’s not what I’m about,” says Van Zant. “We live in America, we can speak our minds. These are our values. That doesn’t mean we’re always right in everybody’s mind. Hopefully, we don’t offend a bunch of people. And if we do, well, get a record deal, man, and make your own songs.”

This is a band well aware of the responsibility that comes with putting the name ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd’ on anything, be it an album or a concert. “We feel like we have to keep the standards high,” says Rossington. “I wouldn’t put this record out, I’d fight not to, if I didn’t think it was good.”

And so Skynyrd stands, “still unbroken,” in 2009. “People may say, ‘they need the money,’ well I don’t think any of us need the money,” Van Zant says. “It’s just that we love the music, it’s bigger than the money, it’s not even about that any more. We have to make a living, sure, but it’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about. There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music.”

Adds Rossington, “We’re still standing, still keeping the music going. We wanted to do the guys who aren’t with us any more proud, and keep the name proud, too.”

This album contains no booklet.