RARE GARY ROSSINGTON PHOTO PLAYING MANDOLIN ON MADE IN THE SHADE LYNYRD SKYNYRD

Description

UP FOR AUCTION IS THIS:
RARE GARY ROSSINGTON PHOTO PLAYING MANDOLIN ON MADE IN THE SHADE * 8 X 10 *
* From Craig Reed's 40 Year Roadie LYNYRD SKYNYRD Survivor Collection *
Gary Rossington
Gary Rossington
Gary Rossington performing in 2008
Background information
Birth name
Gary Robert Rossington
Born
December 4, 1951
(age 68)
Jacksonville, Florida
, U.S.
Genres
Blues rock
,
boogie rock
,
hard rock
,
Southern rock
Occupation(s)
Musician
Instruments
Guitar
Years active
1964–present
Associated acts
Lynyrd Skynyrd
,
The Rossington Collins Band
,
The Rossington Band
Gary Robert Rossington
(born December 4, 1951) is an American musician, best known as a founding member of
southern rock
band
Lynyrd Skynyrd
, in which he plays lead and rhythm guitar.
In 2009, he became the last original member still in the band and in 2019, the last one that is still alive.
He was also a founding member of the
Rossington Collins Band
, along with former bandmate
Allen Collins
.
Contents
1
Early life
2
Music career
3
Personal life
4
See also
5
References
6
External links
Early life
Rossington's mother recalled that he had a strong childhood interest in
baseball
and aspired as a child to one day play for the
New York Yankees
. Rossington recalled that he was a "good ball player" but upon hearing
The Rolling Stones
in his early teens he became interested in music and ultimately gave up on his baseball aspirations.
It was Rossington's love of baseball that indirectly led to the formation of
Lynyrd Skynyrd
in the summer of 1964. He,
Ronnie Van Zant
, and
Bob Burns
became acquainted while playing on rival
Jacksonville
baseball teams and the trio decided to jam together one afternoon after Burns was injured by a ball hit by Van Zant. They set up their equipment in the carport of Burns' parents' house and played The Rolling Stones' then-current hit "
Time Is on My Side
". Liking what they heard, they immediately decided to form a band.
[2]
Naming themselves The Noble Five (with the additions of guitarist
Allen Collins
and bassist
Larry Junstrom
) they later changed the name of the band to The One Percent before eventually settling on the name Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1969.
Rossington grew up in a single parent household and says that early in their relationship, Van Zant became somewhat of a father figure to him. He credits Van Zant, who was three years his senior, with teaching him and his bandmates how to drive a car, as well as introducing them to "all that stuff you learn when you're
14, 15, 16"
According to a
New York Times
article, Lacy Van Zant, patriarch of the Van Zant family, once went to West Jacksonville's
Robert E. Lee High School
to plead Rossington's case to school administrators after the fatherless Rossington was suspended for having long hair. Lacy Van Zant explained to the assistant principal that Rossington's father, who died shortly after Rossington was born, had died in the Army and that Rossington's mother needed the money Rossington made playing in his band. Lacy Van Zant further explained that, like his own sons, they were working men and long hair was part of the job.
[3]
It's not known if the elder Van Zant's efforts were successful, but Rossington later dropped out of high school to focus on Lynyrd Skynyrd full-time.
[2]
Music career
Rossington's instrument of choice was a 1959 Gibson Les Paul which he had purchased from a woman whose boyfriend had left her and left behind his guitar. He named it "Berniece" in honor of his mother (whom he was extremely close to after the death of his father).
[4]
Rossington played
lead guitar
on "
Tuesday's Gone
" and the
slide guitar
for "Free Bird". Along with Collins, Rossington also provided the guitar work for "Simple Man." Besides the Les Paul, he used various other
Gibson
Guitars including
Gibson SGs
. Gibson released a Gary Rossington SG/Les Paul in their Custom Shop a few years ago. For most of his career, he has been playing through
Marshall
and
Peavey
Amplifiers.
On Labor Day weekend in 1976, Rossington and fellow Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins were both involved in separate
auto accidents
in their hometown of Jacksonville.
[
citation needed
]
Rossington had just bought a new
Ford Torino
and hit an oak tree while under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. The band was forced to postpone a tour scheduled to begin a few days later, and Rossington was fined 00 for the delay his actions caused to the band's schedule.
[
citation needed
]
The song "
That Smell
," written by Van Zant and Collins, was based on the wreck and Rossington's state of influence from drugs and alcohol that caused it.
[
citation needed
]
[5]
Rossington was one of twenty passengers who survived the infamous October 20, 1977,
plane crash
near
Gillsburg
,
Mississippi
, that claimed the lives of Lynyrd Skynyrd members Ronnie Van Zant,
Steve Gaines
,
Cassie Gaines
, and three others. As the passengers braced for impact, Rossington recalls hearing what sounded like hundreds of baseball bats hitting the plane's fuselage as it began striking trees. The sound got louder and louder until Rossington was knocked unconscious; he awoke some time later on the ground with the plane's door on top of him. Days later, Rossington was informed in hospital by his mother that Van Zant and the others had been killed.
[2]
Despite breaking both arms, legs, wrists, and ankles, as well as his pelvis, Rossington recovered from his injuries and played on stage again (with steel rods in his right arm and right leg).
[
citation needed
]
Though in time Rossington fully recovered from the severe injuries sustained in the crash, he battled serious drug addiction throughout the next several years, largely the result of his heavy dependence on pain medication taken during his recovery from the plane crash.
[
citation needed
]
Rossington co-founded the
Rossington Collins Band
with Collins in 1980.
[6]
The band released two albums, but disbanded in 1982 after the death of Collins' wife, Kathy.
[
citation needed
]
Along with his wife, Dale Krantz-Rossington, he then formed
The Rossington Band
, which released two albums in 1986 and 1988, respectively.
[
citation needed
]
As of 2018, Rossington still plays in Lynyrd Skynyrd and with the death of keyboardist
Billy Powell
(January 28, 2009), is the last remaining original member in the band. Similarly, with the death of
Larry Junstrom
(October 6, 2019), he is the last surviving original member of the band.
Personal life
Rossington and Dale Krantz-Rossington married in 1982 and have two daughters.
[7]
[8]
Rossington suffered a heart attack on October 8, 2015, after which two Lynyrd Skynyrd concerts had to be cancelled.
[9]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
** SELLERS PASSED LIFE **
I started working with the legendary LYNYRD SKYNYRD BAND late in 1973 , I was the third roadie I ever to be hired by LYNYRD SKYNYRD . I started as a drum roadie but I was the guitar tech most of the time and at the time of the crash . I was also the stage manager and production manager at different times in my career with them . LYNYRD SKYNYRD was one of the wildest groups of musicians who ever toured the rock and roll circuit . Some of the wild incidents included drinking , drugs , and fighting were made into songs written by band leader Ronnie Van Zant . Many People who worked for the LYNYRD SKYNYRD BAND never saw thirty years old . I survived the lifestyle that comes with working with a wild young band like LYNYRD SKYNYRD and being personal friend with each member and partying with each member was unbelievable , not to mention I also survived the LYNYRD SKYNYRD airplane crash October 20 , 1977 , Although I was seriously injured .

I also survived working with the Rossington Collins Band from 1979 through 1983 . Those years were crazy . Then I survived working with the Allen Collins Band in 1983. That year was insanity to say the least . I could have died many times in numerous situations during that period of my life . Before that I survived working as a guitar tech on world tours with Foreigner in 1978 & Journey in 1979 . Plus the Marshall Tucker Band from 1983 through 1987 . Then I survived working again with the new LYNYRD SKYNYRD tribute band from 1987 through 2006 .

When I say I survived all of the above you really would have had to have been there to totally understand I should have died many times like a lot of my friends . During these years I did things that led me to get Hep C . Many band members died with this illness such as Leon , Billy and Allen , others in the band are dealing with this problem at this time , like me . I was released working with LYNYRD SKYNYRD in 2006 because of complications with the treatment that included injections of a medicine that did not agree with me . Since I was released from the band I have been selling my precious collection of LYNYRD SKYNYRD memorabilia from my life with LYNYRD SKYNYRD from the past 40 years . I recently sold Allen Collins 1932 Plymouth 3 window coupe which was one of my most prized possessions , I was in the studio as a guitar tech for every album ever done by the original LYNYRD SKYNYRD BAND plus the ROSSINGTON COLLINS & ALLEN COLLINS BAND. I became close friends with each member of all the bands.