On January 25, 2018, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced they would embark on their Last of the Street Survivors Farewell tour. Thirty dates were announced, running on weekends from May 4 through September 1.
Then on February 4, 2019, the band revealed a second year of the farewell tour with dozens more shows from April 27 through September 28.
Those dates were interrupted – temporarily – when Skynyrd revealed on August 13 that their sole surviving founder Gary Rossington, underwent heart surgery on July 31. (The band’s announcement noted that the guitarist, 67, is expected to make a full recovery.)
On August 16, the group explained on their Facebook page what they meant when they referred to their tour as a farewell:
“Dear Skynyrd Nation,
We wanted to reach out and address some of the rumors and discussions on social media and the message boards out there as it pertains to the band.
In regards to The Last of The Street Survivors Farewell Tour, we always stated that we wanted to ‘try and play every venue, one last time’, so we could bring the music and the legacy of the band to everyone’s town or favorite place to hear the music and the songs they love. The band and the music is popular ALL over the world, and our goal has been to try and play as many places as we could, before we stop touring. Contrary to some of what we have seen and read, the Farewell Tour was NEVER planned to be the first 30 shows and then ending in Jacksonville at the stadium show we played on September 2, 2018. Those first 30 shows in 2018, were just the FIRST Leg of the tour. We always knew it would take 2-3 years for the band to play all of our favorite indoor and outdoor venues, world-wide.
The reason for the tour and announcing the Farewell, was to let the fans know we can’t continue to tour the way the band has toured since 1987, when the band reformed. Gary has made it known, that he does have heart and health issues. Touring from city to city, night in and out, is difficult on his health, as it is with others members of the band. Recently, Gary has had a few set backs and his health has not been 100%. But as Gary always says, ‘it’s what I know’, and that he loves to play guitar for the 3 generations of Skynyrd fans that also love the band’s music that he helped create.
The band has every intention to finish off the Farewell Tour in 2020. Hopefully playing in South America, possibly a few more places in Europe, Australia and also a few cities that we have missed in the USA. We still haven’t been to markets in Oklahoma, South Carolina and several other cities and venues that we love to play. After all that is said and done, the band will take a break and wont tour like they have in the past. We have already started recording a new studio album and hope to release new music at some point. We may still do a special engagement or charity show here or there.
Who really knows what the future holds?? Like they say, ‘Want to hear God laugh? Then tell him your plans….’ We just hope that the Skynyrd Nation will appreciate the band, the music and the knowledge that the Boys and Honkettes wanted to take the music around the world one more time, in a proper and fitting way, to help celebrate the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the music that has touched so many.
God Bless-
The Lynyrd Skynyrd Band
PS- Gary is healing and feeling better and we hope to see you all next week in Irvine!”
Related: Our recap of Skynyrd’s 2019 tour
Original members Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, and Larry Junstrom formed the band in 1964. Originally known as My Backyard, the band changed to its famous name in the early 1970s, and became popular in the Jacksonville, Fla., area, where the original members were from. They signed with Sounds of the South Records in 1972, and released their self-titled album the following year. The album that featured “Free Bird,” arguably the most-recognized single in the Southern Rock genre, has sold more than two million copies since its release. The band later recorded such iconic classic rock songs as “Sweet Home Alabama” and “What’s Your Name.”
The band’s story took a tragic turn in October 1977 when a plane crash took the lives of Van Zant, Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and several of their road crew. The band took a decade-long hiatus before reuniting for a tour and live album, Southern by the Grace of God. Since then, the band has toured and recorded extensively, with their most recent release being Last Of A Dyin’ Breed. The band’s current line-up includes original member Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour 2019 Dates (Tickets here)
Aug 23 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre presented by Mercury Insurance
Aug 24 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
Aug 30 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion^
Aug 31 – Saratoga Springs, NY – SPAC^
Sep 13 – Southaven, MS – Bank Plus Amphitheater+
Sep 14 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre+
Sep 20 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater+
Sep 21 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green#
Sep 22 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Sep 27 – Jackson, MS – Brandon Amphitheater+
Sep 28 – Orange Beach, AL – Wharf Amphitheater+
Oct 11 – Manchester, TN – Exit 111 Festival
Oct 12 – Little Rock, AR – First Security Amphitheater
Oct 18 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena# (prev. Aug 16)
Oct 19 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre (prev Aug 17)
+ with Cody Jinks
^ with Hank Williams Jr
# with Bad Company
Related: Listings for 100s of classic rock tours
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2 Comments
SKYNARD sucks anyway.
Nothing relevant in over 4 decades.
Farewell, hopefully sooner than later.
Who do you think is
” rellevant”?