Lynyrd Skynyrd still in business

May 22 2009 by Andrew Coleman, Birmingham Mail

AMERICAN southern boogie band Lynryd Skynyrd must be rock music’s ultimate survivors.

The group originally disbanded when three of their number, including singer Ronnie Van Zant, were among those killed in a plane crash in 1977.

In 1987 Ronnie’s brother Johnny took over as frontman of a line-up that included five surviving members. Bass player Leon Wilkeson was found dead in his hotel in 2001 and just four months ago, on January 28, keyboardist Billy Powell died at the age of 56.

Wilkeson’s replacement, Ean Evans, succumbed to cancer, aged 48, on May 6, as the band were preparing for a European visit that includes a gig at the NIA next Thursday.

‘‘This has been a tough year for us,’’ admits 50-year-old Johnny. ‘‘‘If it wasn’t for our fans, we wouldn’t be here. It’s a highlight for us to have somebody come up and say ‘Hey, man, your music’s helped us through a hard time’. ‘‘Ronnie was a great lyricist and he just wrote songs that have stuck, and will stick, as long as music’s around.’’

There was more bad fortune in 2005 when Johnny had to have throat surgery to remove a polyp from his vocal chord. Now fully recovered, Johnny has recently quit cigarettes and embraces a more healthy lifestyle. ‘‘I feel better now than ever,” he says.

A father of four daughters, Johnny admits that the band’s new album may be controversial because of its title. ‘‘It looks like it’s going to be called God and Guns,’’ he reveals.

‘‘We believe in Christ and Jesus and we believe in protecting ourselves. Guns don’t kill, people do.”

TicketInfo

LYNRYD SKYNYRD

Thursday May 28: NIA, Birmingham

Tickets: 0844 33 88 000