Print-friendly Version
Lynyrd Skynyrd still scrapping shows due to guitarist's health
Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington's ongoing recuperation from a recent mild seizure has forced the band to cancel and postpone more tour dates.
The group, which had planned to return to the road on Tuesday (9/16), has now scuttled its shows through Oct. 4; only two--in New Jersey and Tennessee--will be rescheduled, according to the group's website.
The Southern rockers are now hoping to kick off their Jim Beam "Vicious Cycle" tour on Oct. 12 in Irvine, CA, according to their publicist.
The change of plans is the latest in a series of cancellations and postponements that have plagued the group all summer; the group torched most of its scheduled August co-headlining stops with fellow rocker Sammy Hagar, and also shelved subsequent plans for post-Hagar headlining shows.
The derailments began when Rossington--who underwent quintuple-bypass surgery in February--was diagnosed in late July with what doctors first thought was "medical fatigue," but later determined was a mild seizure. The guitarist, who logged a brief hospital stay at the time of the incident, has been on the mend at home ever since.
"Gary is still recovering and resting at home," the group's management said in a late-August statement. "He is keeping up with his doctor's prescribed treatments and therapy. He is active at home, fishing, swimming, playing the guitar and relaxing. He is feeling better, but still needs some time to rest and relax. He is thankful to the outpouring of support and wants to let everyone know that he will see you on the road very soon."
The message emphasized that Rossington "is not retiring or quitting. He loves this band and will be back very soon. "
Whenever the group does get back on the tour trail, it will be backing its May 20 release, "Vicious Cycle," which is its first new studio set in four years.
On Sept. 23, Sanctuary Records will issue a limited-edition version of the "Vicious Cycle" CD, which will be packaged with a bonus DVD that features behind-the-scenes clips, interviews, a photo-gallery, and footage from the band's 2003 European tour.
On Friday (9/19), Pay Per View debuts "Lynyrd Skynyrd: The Vicious Cycle Tour." Filmed to commemorate the group's 30th anniversary, the show captures the band's July 11 performance at the AmSouth Amphitheatre near Nashville. The concert special--which clocks in at about two hours and was shot in High Definition--will remain in rotation on Pay Per View for about three weeks, according to a press release.
