Guitarist Rickey Medlocke has responded to criticism that the current lineup of Lynyrd Skynyrd is a “tribute band.”

The group no lengthier has any initially shoppers pursuing the death of Gary Rossington in 2023. Medlocke joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1971 and stayed till lastly ‘72, then returned in 1996 and has been with the group ever considering the fact that. In the course of an physical appearance on True Audio With Gary Stuckey, the guitarist famous he’s heard a excellent deal of detrimental opinions.

“We hear a good deal of, ‘Oh, it can be virtually nothing at all but a tribute band,’” Medlocke admitted (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “Well, they even explained that when Gary was still alive. But here’s the way I look at it. You’ve obtained the unique singer’s youngest brother [Johnny Van Zant] that has been in there just about 37 decades. You have obtained me. Which is my 2nd go-spherical with the band, and I was in the initial group, the formidable group. And you experienced Gary, an primary founding member. Well, to us, us three guys standing upfront, we ended up, like, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no.’”

Read A lot more: Skynyrd’s Rickey Medlocke Flips the Chook to Rock Corridor Around Exclusion

Medlocke mentioned that true tribute bands, like those people discovered on YouTube, are produced up of “strangers that really like to perform go over songs.” His group, he argued, is pretty distinctive.

“When you appear to see Lynyrd Skynyrd, when you occur to see us, it is really complete-on tilt first-sounding, as close as you could ever potentially get,” the rocker stated. “So the people today sitting there behind their minimal laptop keyboards and talking shit, they can speak that shit all they want to. My term is if you can do improved than me, move up. You know what I indicate? Appear on. Occur on with it.”

Rickey Medlocke Promised Gary Rossington He’d Retain Lynyrd Skynyrd Heading

Medlocke’s pride in Lynyrd Skynyrd is comprehensible thinking about the many years he’s focused to the band. The guitarist also feels a perception of duty to Rossington, who insisted the group carry on after his death.

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“Gary manufactured us assure that we would never, ever allow the integrity of the band and the audio heritage of the band, never permit it be forgotten,” the guitarist confessed. “Just all of a unexpected, he is gone, the band’s absent, and you may hear it on radio each individual when in a while, or people today get jointly for a barbecue and they enjoy the tunes or what ever. We bought so significantly corresponding opinions, letters, notes, e-mail, text messages, and the just one determining element was, ‘Please, never enable this be the close of it.’ Properly, all right.”

Medlocke also pointed out that lineup adjustments are commonplace in rock.

“If you genuinely stop to feel about this, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards is the only authentic users in the Rolling Stones,” the guitarist argued. “I indicate, Ron Wood’s been there a prolonged time, but Mick Jagger and Keith Richards is the first fellas standing there. And they’ve got all distinctive musicians actively playing with them now.”

Lynyrd Skynyrd has in depth touring programs in 2024, which include the Sharp Dressed Uncomplicated Gentleman Tour alongside ZZ Leading.