Gary Rossington

American guitarist Gary Rossington was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Despite his early interest in baseball, he gave up the ambitions to become a professional player upon first hearing the Rolling Stones. Still, it was through the sport he first met the band mates he would come to found Lynyrd Skynyrd with. Rossington dropped out of high school to focus on the band, which eventually paid off. In 1970, Lynyrd Skynyrd had already become a hit in their hometown, but their 1973 debut album, which contained the single "Free Bird" (1974), was the real game changer. Their follow-up work, "Sweet Home Alabama" (1974) cemented their success in the industry, but internal conflicts, Rossington's car accident and an ever-changing roster proved a challenge for their following albums. In 1977, a plane crash claimed the lives of three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but Rossington was among the few survivors. He struggled with recovery for several years, but kept on playing, both on side-projects, such as the Rossington Collins Band and The Rossington Band, and on Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was the last surviving original member of the group, passing away at home, at age 71, in 2023.