Lynyrd Skynyrd Cancel Concert After Gary Rossington Health Scare
Lynyrd Skynyrd have cancelled the concert they were scheduled to play tomorrow night in Lewiston, N.Y., after founding guitarist Gary Rossington experienced chest pains. Depending on his doctor's advice, it is possible the group will have to miss more dates as well.
Rossington suffered a heart attack last October that forced him and Skynyrd off the road for their five remaining shows of 2015. The guitarist, who has been the only constant member of the band, has had a history of heart problems. He underwent a quintuple bypass in 2003, and his surgery after this recent heart attack involved adding or repairing stents that had previously been inserted. At the time he cheerfully thanked his fans for their encouragement and promised to get back on the road: “I just wanted to thank everyone for all the well wishes and support. I will be back before you know it! It’s gonna take more than a lil ole heart attack to keep me down.”
The group announced the news via Twitter earlier this evening. Their full statement on Rossington's condition and how it might affect the rest of their summer tour plans is below. The band has a very full concert schedule set for July, August and September – including dates with Peter Frampton – but judging from this statement those dates could also be in jeopardy as Skynyrd are obviously and wisely placing full priority on Rossington's health.
Here is Lynyrd Skynyrd's full statement on the cancelled show:
Lynyrd Skynyrd's performance at Artpark in Lewiston, NY on July 19th has been cancelled. We hope to reschedule the show in the near future.
Founding member and guitar player, Gary Rossington, is seeking doctor's evaluation in Atlanta after experiencing some chest pains. Lynyrd Skynyrd will resume their tour once Gary is cleared by medical professionals. We will advise as soon as we have additional information.
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