The Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour was a tour that was undertaken to pay tribute to the original band members who died in a plane crash in 1977. The tour began in the fall of 1987, in honor of the 10-year anniversary of the plane crash. A number of surviving members reunited for the tour. Original members Gary Rossington, Billy Powell and Leon Wilkeson were joined by Ed King (original member who had left the band in 1975), Artimus Pyle (drummer at the time of the plane crash), Randall Hall and Johnny Van Zant.

History Rossington, who had formed the original band with lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was initially reluctant to do the tour. He was, in the words of his wife Dale Krantz-Rossington, still "very emotional" about the preceding events and about the anniversary of the plane crash. Eventually, Rossington decided that if the tour was to be done right, and if his fallen colleagues were to be honored properly, that he should be involved.

Original guitarist and founding member, Allen Collins, was unable to play as a result of being paralyzed in a car crash in 1986. Collins served as musical director for the tour, picking setlists and making cameo appearances onstage. He chose former bandmate Randall Hall (who had played with Collins in the Allen Collins Band) to take his spot.

Ronnie Van Zant's youngest brother, Johnny, was chosen to assume the role of lead vocalist. Other candidates were considered, including Paul Rodgers (of Free and Bad Company fame). Ronnie had been a huge Paul Rodgers fan and even owned a boat named "Bad Company" at one point. Ultimately though, it was Johnny who was deemed to be the best replacement for his brother.

The first leg of the tour was enormously successful. Moved by the loyalty and reaction of the fans, the band elected to add a second leg (which ran through the summer of 1988). The Tribute Tour Band played an inspired selection of classic Skynyrd tunes and ended the show with a heart-wrenching instrumental version of Free Bird.

The Rossington Band opened for the entire tour, playing a mixture of Rossington band original material and earlier material from the Rossington/Collins Band era. Dale Krantz-Rossington sang lead vocals for the Rossington Band and backup vocals for the Skynyrd set. Between the Rossington Band set and the Skynyrd set, old videos of the original Skynyrd band were shown on the bigscreen featuring full length versions of such songs as "T for Texas", "Don't Ask Me No Questions", "Cry for the Bad Man" and "Whiskey Rock-A-Roller".

Typical setlist "Workin' for MCA" "I Ain't the One" "Saturday Night Special" "The Needle and the Spoon" "That Smell" "I Know a Little" "Gimme Three Steps" "Call Me the Breeze" "Swamp Music" "You Got That Right" "What's Your Name" "Gimme Back My Bullets" "Simple Man" "Sweet Home Alabama" "Free Bird"

Tour dates DateLynyrd Skynyrd Gigography, Tour History | SongkickThe Great Rock Discography (third edition) by M.C.Strong City Country VenueLeg 1September 23, 1987ConcordUnited StatesConcord PavilionSeptember 24, 1987RenoLawlor Events CenterSeptember 25, 1987SacramentoCal Expo AmphitheatreSeptember 26, 1987Mountain ViewShoreline AmphitheatreSeptember 27, 1987IrvineIrvine MeadowsSeptember 28, 1987Los AngelesUniversal AmphitheatreSeptember 29, 1987WheelingWheeling Civic CenterSeptember 30, 1987St. LouisSt. Louis ArenaOctober 1, 1987CincinnatiCincinnati GardensOctober 2, 1987ChicagoUIC PavilionOctober 3, 1987DetroitJoe Louis ArenaOctober 4, 1987PittsburghCivic ArenaOctober 6, 1987LandoverCapital CentreOctober 8, 1987WorcesterCentrumOctober 9, 1987UniondaleNassau Veterans Memorial ColiseumOctober 10, 1987New HavenVeterans Memorial ColiseumOctober 11, 1987PhiladelphiaSpectrumOctober 14, 1987AtlantaOmni ColiseumOctober 15, 1987October 16, 1987JacksonvilleJacksonville ColiseumOctober 17, 1987TampaSun DomeOctober 19, 1987CharlotteCharlotte ColiseumOctober 20, 1987BirminghamBirmingham–Jefferson Convention ComplexOctober 23, 1987AntiochStarwood AmphitheatreOctober 24, 1987IndianapolisMarket Square ArenaOctober 25, 1987RichfieldRichfield ColiseumOctober 27, 1987NormanLloyd Noble CenterOctober 28, 1987Little RockBarton ColiseumOctober 29, 1987MemphisMid-South ColiseumOctober 30, 1987BiloxiGulf Coast ColiseumOctober 31, 1987HoustonThe SummitNovember 1, 1987DallasReunion ArenaLeg 2May 14, 1988PensacolaUnited StatesPensacola Civic CenterMay 15, 1988TallahasseeLeon County Civic CenterMay 17, 1988New OrleansUNO Lakefront ArenaMay 18, 1988ShreveportHirsch Memorial ColiseumMay 19, 1988JacksonMississippi ColiseumMay 21, 1988LexingtonRupp ArenaMay 22, 1988Johnson CityFreedom Hall Civic CenterMay 23, 1988KnoxvilleKnoxville Civic ColiseumMay 25, 1988ColumbiaCarolina ColiseumMay 26, 1988SavannahSavannah Civic CenterMay 28, 1988OrlandoOrange County Convention CenterMay 29, 1988Pembroke PinesHollywood Sportatorium May 31, 1988ChattanoogaUTC ArenaJune 1, 1988RoanokeRoanoke Civic CenterJune 2, 1988GreensboroGreensboro ColiseumJune 4, 1988CharlotteCharlotte Memorial StadiumJune 5, 1988AtlantaAtlanta–Fulton County StadiumJune 7, 1988Cuyahoga FallsBlossom Music CenterJune 8, 1988PittsburghCivic ArenaJune 9, 1988ClarkstonPine Knob Music TheaterJune 11, 1988East TroyAlpine Valley Music TheatreJune 12, 1988ThornvilleBuckeye Lake Music CenterJune 15, 1988BloomingtonMet CenterJune 16, 1988Cedar RapidsFive Seasons CenterJune 18, 1988PeoriaPeoria Civic CenterJune 19, 1988Kansas CitySandstone Center for the Performing ArtsJune 20, 1988OmahaOmaha Civic AuditoriumJune 23, 1988Salt Lake CitySalt PalaceJune 27, 1988PortlandMemorial ColiseumJune 29, 1988TacomaTacoma DomeJuly 1, 1988SacramentoCal Expo AmphitheatreJuly 2, 1988Mountain ViewShoreline AmphitheatreJuly 3, 1988ConcordConcord PavilionAugust 8, 1988Universal CityUniversal AmphitheatreAugust 16, 1988Costa MesaPacific AmphitheatreAugust 17, 1988ChandlerCompton TerraceAugust 20, 1988MorrisonRed Rocks AmphitheatreAugust 21, 1988August 23, 1988Des MoinesVeterans Memorial AuditoriumAugust 24, 1988St. LouisFox TheatreAugust 26, 1988SyracuseNew York State FairgroundsAugust 27, 1988ManchesterRiverfront ParkAugust 29, 1988MansfieldGreat Woods Center for the Performing ArtsSeptember 1, 1988SaratogaSaratoga Performing Arts CenterSeptember 2, 1988PortlandCumberland County Civic Center September 4, 1988AllentownFairground GrandstandSeptember 6, 1988New York CityThe Ritz (Miami Project To Cure Paralysis Benefit)September 7, 1988East RutherfordMeadowlands ArenaSeptember 8, 1988UniondaleNassau ColiseumSeptember 10, 1988LandoverCapital CentreSeptember 15, 1988PhiladelphiaSpectrumSeptember 16, 1988DarienLakeside AmphitheaterSeptember 18, 1988CharlestonCharleston Civic CenterSeptember 22, 1988TrotwoodHara ArenaSeptember 23, 1988LouisvilleLouisville GardensSeptember 24, 1988HuntsvilleVon Braun Civic CenterSeptember 25, 1988AntiochStarwood Amphitheater

Personnel Johnny Van Zant – vocals Gary Rossington – guitars Ed King – guitars Randall Hall – guitars Billy Powell – keyboards Leon Wilkeson – bass Artimus Pyle – drums

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