Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd Has Died

Guitarist Gary Rossington, the last surviving founding member of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died, the band announced on their official Facebook page Sunday evening. He was 71.

While no cause of death was given, the guitarist had battled a number of heart problems that had caused him to stop playing in the middle of a tour in 2021.

Rossington survived the plane crash that killed band members Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, as well as backup singer Cassie Gaines, Steve Gaines’ sister, and a road manager just three days after the release of their fifth studio album “Street Survivors.”