Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington Recovering After ‘Emergency Heart Surgery’

He’s Resting At Home

Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist and last surviving original member Gary Rossington has just underwent an emergency heart surgery and is currently in recovery. According to singer Johnny Van Zant, Rossington underwent the operation to “have an emergency stent put in his heart.”

The band recently performed sans Rossington at a concert on Friday at the North Dakota State Fair. They went back to the road for the first time in over a year, but the Southern rock legend has been noticeably absent from their recent concerts.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Gary Rossington as he recovers from emergency heart surgery,” Lynyrd Skynyrd said in a statement posted on Facebook. “Gary is home resting and recovering with his family at home. He wants everyone to know he is doing good and expects a full recovery.”

“After this past year, the country being shut down and everything we have all been thru, The Rossington’s encouraged the band to go perform in his absence,” they continued. “Music is a powerful healer! We all felt playing the shows and bringing the music to y’all was a better option than cancelling the performances.”

Rossington had heart problems in the past – in 2015, he suffered a heart attack that required surgery, and in 2019, he underwent a procedure to repair a heart valve. Even so, he ignored doctors’ suggestions to retire from touring and performing.