Lynyrd Skynyrd honored their former guitarist, Ed King, over the weekend, in their first concerts following his death on August 22 at age 68. The Southern Rock icons are in the midst of their Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour which has them playing weekend performances.
On August 27, they also addressed Sunday’s shootings in their hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. (See below.)
At their August 24 concert in Syracuse, NY and again on August 25 in Pittsburgh, PA, the band dedicated “Sweet Home Alabama,” the final number before their traditional “Free Bird” encore, to King. (Watch it below.) The musician co-wrote the classic rock song and provided both the “1-2-3” count-off and the familiar opening guitar lick in the classic recording.
The first leg of the career-concluding tour, produced by Live Nation, kicked off May 4. It has crossed the country throughout the summer with dates now well into December, on Fridays and Saturdays. The dates have included numerous well known opening acts including Marshall Tucker Band, .38 Special, Cheap Trick, Blackberry Smoke, Outlaws, Hank Williams Jr., Charlie Daniels Band and Blackfoot. (See the remaining itinerary below.)
A documentary on the band, If I Leave Here Tomorrow, premiered on Showtime, just days before King’s death.
Introducing “Sweet Home Alabama” at their August 24 concert in Syracuse: “This goes out to Ed King. How about it?”
Watch Skynyrd’s performance
The band also addressed the August 26 shootings in their hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., where they’re scheduled to perform this weekend. On August 27 on their Facebook page, they wrote: “This week was supposed to be a week of celebration for the boys in the band…
“However, Coming Home to Jacksonville, yesterday’s events have left us with heavy hearts for the victims and the families of this senseless tragedy. We wanted to let our community know that our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and injured. We can only hope that the families and those effected can find some comfort this week.
“We will be in Jacksonville on Sunday with our friends and family, and hope that the power of music can bring people together to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company.”
The band announced they’ll be recording the concert for audio and video broadcast and release.
Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour (Tickets are available here and here)
Aug 31 – Pelham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Sep 01 – Atlanta, GA – Cellairis Amphitheatre (with Hank Williams Jr., Marshall Tucker Band, Blackberry Smoke)
Sep 02 – Jacksonville, FL – TIAA Bank Field (with Charlie Daniels Band, Marshall Tucker Band, Kid Rock, Blackberry Smoke)
Sep 22 – Las Vegas, NV – IHeartRadio Music Festival
Sep 28 – Rogers, AR – Walmart Amp (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Sep 29 – Wichita, KS – Intrust Bank Arena (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Oct 05 – Saint Paul, MN – XCEL Energy Center (with Jamey Johnson)
Oct 06 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena (with Jamey Johnson)
Oct 12 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford Premier Center (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Oct 13 – Cedar Rapids, IA – US Cellular Center (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Oct 19 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Oct 20 – Toledo, OH – Huntington Center (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Oct 26 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena (with Bad Company
Oct 27 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Nov 02 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center (with Marshall Tucker Band, Jamey Johnson)
Nov 03 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Nov 09 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena (with Jamey Johnson)
Nov 10 – Louisville, KY – KFC YUM! Center (with Marshall Tucker Band, Jamey Johnson)
Nov 16 – Baltimore, MD – Royal Farms Arena (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Nov 17 – Huntington, WV – Big Sandy Superstore Arena (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Nov 30 – Wilkes-Barre Township, PA – Mohegan Sun Arena (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Dec 01 – Atlantic City, NJ – Boardwalk Hall (with Marshall Tucker Band)
Dec 07 – Baton Rouge, LA – Raising Cane’s River Center
Dec 08 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
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