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Lynyrd Skynyrd Still The Real Deal

08/27/2010
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(Gibson) In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke spoke about the version of the Southern rock band that's touring and recording these days. "A lot of people say, 'Don't you ever feel like you're really a tribute band?' No, I don't. I think that as long as Gary [Rossington] and myself and Johnny [Van Zant] are there, it's always going to be Lynyrd Skynyrd," Medlocke said. "But I do like to think that we're giving tribute to the guys that have gone before us."

Medlocke has a long history with Lynyrd Skynyrd. He first joined the band in 1970, but not as a guitarist. "I was needing to make a change at the time," he said. "I called up Ronnie [Van Zant] and said, 'Do you need a crew guy or somebody to set up equipment or whatever?' And he said, Do you still play drums?' I knew how to play drums, but I hadn't messed with them in years. But in order to have a gig, I kind of BS'ed him and said, 'Yeah, I still know how to play."

He left the band after about a year, because he didn't think he was a good enough drummer for the band. He went on to form Blackfoot, where he served as singer and guitarist, but remained good friends with the Skynyrd gang. He said he could have been on the plane that killed some of the band's key members in 1977
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