Most of our fans are the hardworking people of the world. They are the people who have made this country great.
— Johnny Van Zant
On our Web site, we have people complaining about us not playing new stuff. But there's so many classic Lynyrd Skynyrd songs, you can't go out and just do a bunch of new things.
Lynyrd Skynyrd has always been about writing songs and talking to people through them. That's what we do, and that's what we'll keep doing for as long as we can.
Some people would do anything just to get a break; that's where the bad guys get you.
I like George W. At a time when this country was hit hard, he stood up for America. He's been the leader of the free world during the hardest time America's ever had.
Look at Montgomery Gentry. If those boys came out in the '70s, they'd be Southern rock.
We have a song called 'Skynyrd Nation.' It's just about what our fans are, what they do in getting ready for the show.
My favorite singers in the world have been black singers, and you can go to any church and hear the best singers in the world - and I'm a singer, and I love singing!
If it wasn't for Al Kooper, there might not be a Lynyrd Skynyrd. He's the one who found us at Pinocchio's in Atlanta, Georgia, and signed us to Sounds Of The South through MCA, brought the band to attention.
I think it's just that Skynyrd songs are timeless.
I think, hey, everybody has a right to change their mind.
You have people ask us how you get through all the stuff that Skynyrd's been through, and I think it's the music; it really is.
I always try to relate a song to something what is going on, the working man, the times, how life goes.
A lot of groups get dirty deals. They work hard and have to get a job after their career is over.
Rich people know how to party, too.
My dad was a truck driver. We all used to ride along with him. And the way he'd keep awake was to sing while he was going down the road. So we all joined in.
Our newest member is Johnny Colt, who was bass player with The Black Crowes. Colt fits right in with us. He's loony as heck, and so are we. We have a great time and love doing what we do. I hope Johnny is with us for a long, long time. He is quite the guy.
We have doctors and lawyers and CEOs as fans.
We have fans that come up all the time and say, 'This song helped me through this tough time in my life' or whatever. The music helps us through it, too.
It's all these young country bucks doing Skynyrd songs, which is pretty cool to us.
I'm always going to keep my eyes open.
I'm a Republican myself, though I think there are actually some Democrats in Lynyrd Skynyrd.
There's nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music.
David Allan Coe actually went to jail one time. Some fan cursed Lynyrd Skynyrd, and David Allan Coe kicked his teeth in. He ran and kicked a guy's teeth in for saying something about Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Not every song of Lynyrd Skynyrd's was a single, but songs like 'Tuesday's Gone' and 'The Ballad of Curtis Loew' and 'Made in the Shade,' 'I Need You,' people learned those songs from the radio because radio played albums, not just singles.
I think people relate to Skynyrd; it's a working class band. They're just songs with messages. To this day, there's never been a song written that didn't have a message.
We didn't grow up rich people.
Rock & roll has kept us alive for all these years. But we just love country music. It's in our blood.
Don't sign your publishing away.
If people can't relate to something, there's no use of the song being there.
When you set a goal for yourself, you do what you need to.
We've got to take some drastic steps in this country. We can't keep spending and spending.
If rock & roll is dead and gone, man, I am missing out on it.
When we are out on the road, running up and down the road playing shows, you have to be not only a member of a band but, especially with Lynyrd Skynyrd, you have to be a part of the Skynyrd nation. You have to be a part of the family.
I was a Skynyrd fan before I was approached to be a part of Skynyrd, and they always ended it with 'Free Bird,' so I've been watching it since I was a kid.
Whatever people want to say, we go out there every night, and we give tribute to the songs that my brother wrote, to Ronnie and Allen Collins and Steve Gaines and Leon Wilkeson and everybody. We pay tribute every night to those people who have gone on.
I'd rather sit in Jacksonville and do a different kind of work than get messed over.
My father was a Democrat.
Look at Gretchen Wilson. If she came out in the '70s she'd be the queen of Southern rock.
John 5 - he's weird. He's a freak. I'm just kidding. He's a great guy.
I don't think you can erase history.
We always pay tribute to what the old Lynyrd Skynyrd has done - I'm very proud of that.
'Free Bird' is timeless, 'Sweet Home' is timeless. They're just timeless songs.
Nothing was easy for us coming up. But we were rich in family.
I've never met a person who doesn't like music, and we may vary in what styles we like, but everybody likes some form of music.
Some of the songs on the radio are really outrageous. I listen to the lyric. If the lyric doesn't make sense, I don't like the song.
When you're dealing with a big amount of money, you should have your own accountant and your own lawyer.
If you're going into music, work on your music and do it as well as you can. And look at it as a business. I'm in it to make a living, too.
Who knows what the heck the future will bring.
I think country music is Lynyrd Skynyrd. I think a lot of the country music is what we do, but I don't think rock & roll is dead at all.
