Gary Rossington

Rossington formed the band The Noble Five as a teenager with friends Ronnie Van Zant Allen Collins Larry Junstrom and Bob Burns in the summer of 1964 They would later change the name of the band to The One Percent before becoming Lynyrd Skynyrd Skynyrd gained national exposure starting in 1973 with the release of their first album pronounced l?hnérd skinnérd and hit single Free Bird Rossingtons instrument of choice was a 1959 Gibson Les Paul that he purchased from a woman whose boyfriend had left her and left behind his guitar He named it Berneice in honor of his mother whom he was close to Rossington has played lead guitar on Tuesdays Gone and the slide guitar for Free Bird Along with Collins Rossington also provided the guitar work for Simple Man Rossington cofounded The RossingtonCollins Band with Collins in 1980 The band released two albums but disbanded in 1982 after the death of Collins wife Kathy Rossington still plays in the current Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup With the death of keyboardist Billy Powell on January 28 2009 Rossington is now the only original band member left in the reformed band