Lynyrd Skynyrd contemplating recording album with 30 unreleased Gary Rossington songs

Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd is considering the possibility of recording a new album featuring approximately 30 previously unreleased songs co-written with the late guitarist Gary Rossington. The band members, singer Johnny Van Zant and guitarist Rickey Medlocke, discussed this potential project in a recent interview with French outlet Riff X.

Van Zant revealed, “We have songs that we wrote with Gary that we never recorded.” Following Rossington’s passing in 2023, his wife brought the band a collection of tapes containing undiscovered tracks. Medlocke shared, “They brought us a load of tapes and all this stuff — [Gary’s] wife did — and we discovered we had about 30 songs that Gary had taken part with Johnny and myself and whomever. You could hear him talking on the tapes and talking about lyrics and all that stuff.”

Upon exploring the newfound material, Medlocke and Van Zant began discussing the idea of a potential new record. Medlocke expressed, “Johnny and I started talking about doing—possibly doing—another Lynyrd Skynyrd record that included Gary’s songs on it and stuff.” While Van Zant did not confirm a release, he expressed a desire to share the music with the band’s loyal fan base. This contemplation of a new album marks the second time the group has hinted at a tribute project in memory of Rossington.

If Lynyrd Skynyrd proceeds with the recording, it would be their first album since 2012’s Last Of A Dyin’ Breed. The band did release a single called “Last Of The Street Survivors” in 2020. Rossington, who was the final surviving founding member of the band, passed away at the age of 71. Despite this loss, the group has continued to stay active in the music scene by continuing their live performances.

Fans eager to hear some of the unreleased material may have the opportunity to experience it live next year. Lynyrd Skynyrd is scheduled to start a tour with Foreigner on July 23 in Atlanta, with the final show taking place on August 29 in Rogers, Arkansas. This upcoming tour presents an exciting opportunity for fans to witness the band’s musical evolution and potential new material firsthand.