Lynyrd Skynyrd postpone shows after guitarist’s heart valve surgery

OHMYGOSSIP — Lynyrd Skynyrd have postponed two shows as guitarist Gary Rossington recovers from heart valve surgery.
The ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ hitmakers have been touring on their ‘Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour’, but their upcoming concerts in Las Vegas on Friday (16.08.19) and Saturday (17.08.19) in Wheatland, California, have been rescheduled to October 18 and 19 respectively.
Gary is said to be experiencing fatigue after the operation to fix a leaky valve.
The surgery follows the only surviving member of the original line-up of the group’s quintuple bypass in 2003 and heart attack in 2015.
Lynyrd’s next scheduled concert is on August 23 in Irvine, California.
The group have decided to bow out of touring following a 40-year career, after their current run comes to an end.
The band’s story took a tragic turn in October 1977, when a plane crash took the lives of frontman Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and several of their road crew.
The ‘Free Bird’ rockers took a decade-long hiatus before reuniting for a tour and live album, ‘Southern by the Grace of God’.
Since then, the band has toured and recorded extensively, with their most recent release being ‘Last Of A Dyin’ Breed’ in 2012.
Speaking about the tour earlier this year, Gary said: “It’s hard to imagine, after all these years, the band that Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and myself started back in Jacksonville, would resonate for this long and to so many generations of fans.
“I’m certain they are looking down from above, amazed that the music has touched so many.”
Vocalist Johnny Van Zant – who took over frontman duties after his late brother’s death – added: “We’ve been blessed by these great songs and the messages they carry to the fans.
“It’s been a true honour to try and fill in my brother’s footsteps for the past 31 years, keeping the music and his spirit, alive.”

Source: IconInsider.com
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