On This Day, March 5, 2023: Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington dies at 71

On This Day, March 5, 2023…

Gary Rossington, guitarist for Southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd, passed away at the age of 71.

Rossington, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2006, was the last remaining original member of Skynyrd's lineup.

Rossington played guitar on many of the band’s biggest hits, including "Simple Man" and "Sweet Alabama," both of which he co-wrote with Ronnie Van Zant, as well as "Tuesday’s Gone." He also played slide guitar on Lynyrd Skynyrd's signature tune "Free Bird."

Rossington was one of the passengers who survived the October, 20, 1977, Mississippi plane crash that took the lives of Lynyrd Skynyrd members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines and three others. He broke both his arms, legs, wrists, ankles and pelvis in the crash.

Rossington’s last live performance with Lynyrd Skynyrd was during the band’s 50th anniversary concert, which took place in Nashville in November 2022. A special live album and DVD of the concert was released in 2025.