The legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Free Bird’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The legendary rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd came to Nashville last week to help Music City ring in the new year.

While in town, News 2’s Nikki McGee got a chance to speak with lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant and guitarist Rickey Medlocke ahead of Nashville’s Big Bash where she asked the rockers about the lasting legacy of one of the band’s most famous songs, Free Bird.

“It was actually dedicated to Dwayne Allman, of the Allman Brothers and actually one of the few love songs Lynyrd Skynyrd had,” said Van Zant. “Look at it now, we have people that go, ‘Hey, it was our graduation song.’ ‘We played it at our father or mother’s funeral.’ It’s just a relatable song and we never end a show without it.”

| READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County

“Well, for me playing the very ending of the song, the lead solo, you know, it’s become so important to me in my life. And I’ve played it so many years that I couldn’t imagine not playing it in the show,” said Medlocke. “Plus, we’ve developed it over the years, to where right now, over the last three, four years, there’s a special moment in it in the very end, that I’ve seen grown men with tears in their eyes. So it’s, you know what, it’s one of those iconic tunes.”

The song first appeared on the band’s 1973 debut album (Pronounced ‘L?h-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) and was released as an official single in November 1974.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.