the members of Jacksonville's own Lynyrd
Skynyrd right now are in the fourth day
of a brief break from their farewell
tour that's scheduled to continue into
next year before Sunday's concert at
TIAA Bank Field
I sat down with a bands three hometown
stars on their bus for a wide-ranging
conversation about their past present
and future when ronnie van zant and alan
collins wrote that song about the smell
of death they could not possibly have
known how prophetic the lyrics would be
you know all those people out there
waiting to hear you guys tonight they
had this idea about rock stars okay that
you guys have it made you've got Fame
you've got fortune but you know I've
gotten to know you and I know you've
been through hell yeah the plane crash
Ronnie
other people on the plane we've lost
Billy you've lost Alan Leon Leon
okay and now early and Ed King and now
earlier this year you've lost a daughter
yeah yeah how have you endured all of
this I think music has helped us get
through it you know what I'm glad that
we're I'm very busy right now you know
and I think if you stay busy and you
believe in God you know that's the most
important thing right there you know he
gets you through things and when you
lose a child either you go one way or
the other and I've leaned thank God them
for my pastor pastor P Mike over there
at high points Church in Middleburg I go
Jesus man yeah yeah you know you have to
believe that not know one day I'll see
her again and I got her I got her with
me every day
that's her handwriting o me the words
Lyndsey wrote for her dad may the angels
watch over you did you have a burning
bush experience or was this been an
educational experience with that you
know what we've always believed in our
Lord Jesus Christ our dad should have
been a preacher I really because he knew
the Bible back and forth he would set us
all down I know Gary heard Lacey all the
time preacher yeah yeah and he preached
to us told us what not to do and what to
do think it actually quote scriptures
reality
if I leave
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the pre 1977
Leonard Skinner to put it mildly had
kind of a reputation for shall we say
being rowdy yeah okay so in case you
haven't read any of that stuff okay you
guys don't have a reputation for being
rowdy what what happened
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let's you're a bunch of clean livers
yeah yeah yeah you have to be you know
what you can't do what the heck we do
and party like that I had a friend of
funny friend said I want some after-show
party passes I said after show well
we're down here in Jacksonville Florida
bed funny damn people ask you oh man
what do y'all do that to show me I'll
just race Kate and you know you drink
you're gonna go Oreo cookies a minute
you see us we're on the bus right here I
got a woolly magneri my name
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I just have one more question after this
is over New Zealand all Latin America
okay when the touring finally stops what
are you going to do probably go in the
studio I think that everybody once they
stop doing it they still keep themselves
involved in what they love to do yeah
and so will we
except I get a lot more opportunity to
go fishing yeah yeah man I'm gonna take
some time off for kids grandkids and you
know I had a [ __ ] I had a boat about I
don't know how many years ago but I had
it for four years I took it out four
times a four year we're on the road it
might be time to buy another boat yeah
we ride whether you want to or not if
you're a writer it comes through you
want to write so we've been writing some
tunes and yeah we might record a few
albums like the Beatles do when they
quit touring you know parent less each
other yeah meet at the lobby of some
Hotel Showtime one of the special things
that I love too is is where you're
sitting right now is like at the end of
the night man with the shows are over
with we're one family sitting here and I
think one thing I was telling the guys
not long
and one thing I think that I'm gonna
miss there's no special nights if when
we finish everybody's sitting right here
and I'm going to miss that the most
you know what you've been with us from
the game thank you Tom
yeah thank you I love you guys