"Well they just turned their backs on their core group of fans, that will really help sell out show," reads a comment from one-formerLynyrd Skynyrdfan in a report from The Wall Street Journal. This persistent narrative may soothe listeners of the liberal persuasion, who have difficulty reconciling how music this powerful may be telegraphing politics with which they disagree, but it also has the ultimate effect of widening the gap between Ronnie Van Zant and the latter-day Skynyrd, suggesting the two dont share similar roots. I wish I had given it more thought., Things came to head when Petty stopped mid-show after a fan threw a Confederate flag bandana on stage. Selecting Two Day or Overnight will only reduce transit time. The Confederate flag is a flag that was used by the seceded Southern states, who called themselves the Confederate States of America, during the Civil War. Though many applauded Lynyrd Skynyrd's attempt to distance themselves from the Confederate flag, the decision has angered some fans, who took to the internet to swiftly condemn the news. Vandoliers Play Tennessee Concert in Dresses to Protest State's New Drag Bill T-shirt colors are available in the best-selling black, the classic white, and many others. As a result, the band used its Facebook page to let the world know that it would continue to display the flag at all of its shows. The interview, which aired Sept 9th on CNN caused an uproar in the Lynyrd Skynyrd began phasing use of the Confederate flag a few years ago. It's a big move since part of the reason the Confederate flag has remained popular (at least in rock n roll)was because Lynyrd Skynyrd's useof the flagin concerts and memorabilia (back when Rossington didn't think it was associated with the KKK and raging racists). The divide is crystallized within the contrast between Van Zants Saturday Night Special, a 1975 hit where he claims hand guns are made for killin, they aint no good for nothin else, and God and Guns, the title track to a 2009 album where Skynyrd pledges allegiance to these two things above all else. We've sent you an email with a link to update your password. The Stars . The groups 2001 song The Southern Thing featured the line Aint about no foolish pride, aint about no flag reflecting the bands disdain for the image. Moisture-wicking active t-shirts are here, too. Its my flag now., Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. We know what the Dixie flag represents and its heritage; the Civil War was fought over States rights.We still utilize the Confederate (Rebel) flag on stage every night in our shows, we are and always will be a Southern American Rock band, first and foremost. "Back when I would wear a Confederate flag on stage along with an American flag and a POW flag and a 'Don't tread on me' flag I would be on tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd, and there wasn't a . Only 9 left in stock - order soon. Lynyrd Skynyrd talks retirement, the Confederate flag, their Southern rock legacy and more The group's farewell tour kicks off in Florida this week. Any energy is good energy. A password reset email has been sent to the email address on file for your account, but may take several minutes to show up in your inbox. Neil made a song criticizing racism (Southern Man) and LS responded with "Well I hope Neil Young will remember a . Kanye West is seen on November 04, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. On Wednesday, Alabama governor Robert Bentley ordered the flag removed from the Capitol groundsin Montgomery. A fan blowback ensued, leading Gary Rossington to clarify the bands stance in a Facebook post, claiming that the group would still use the Rebel flag but only alongside the U.S. flag, cause at the end of the day, we are all Americans. The guitarist added that such associations had caused the band to disassociate themselves from the flag, which had been a large part of their visual image over the years. Yes, the Confederate flag originally stood for "states' rights." Specifically, the right to own black people, and the right to carry that right into new states regardless of what the government of the new state wanted. Stinky! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I will admit, I was a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan growing up in Virginia in my teens, and I unfortunately have to admit I also hung a confederate flag in my room next to their poster. Lynyrd Skynyrd wasnt bothered by Watergate, but now theyre sheepish over their use of the Confederate flag. Lynyrd Skynyrd: Inside the Bands Complicated History With the South, Don Toliver Hits With the Focus of a Guided Missile to Close Out SXSW 2022, Ukrainian Band Closes SXSW With Bold Protest, Bob Dylans Masters of War, Dolly Parton Welcomes SXSW to the Dollyverse But Steers Clear of Rock Hall Controversy, View all posts by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Glastonbury Co-Organizer Promises Female Headliners in 2024 After All-Male Top Billing This Year, There Were Sidemen. Below is the CNN Interview: [] after thatheadline-making announcement, thoughand perhaps in response to a pro-flag backlash from its hardcore southern basethe band [], Your email address will not be published. And thanks to the magic of the Internet, we can ship your Lynyrd Skynyrd merch straight to your doorsteps. Nine parishioners were killed by 21-year-old Dylann Roof, a white supremacist who had posed for photos with a gun in one hand and a Confederate flag in the other. Inasmuch as the fact that the band often performed with a Confederate flag as a backdrop, the label and perception has been hard to shake. He'll remember. We didnt want that to go to our fans or show the image like we agreed with any of the race stuff or any of the bad things.. This apparently didnt sit well with some of the bands fans back in Dixie, who have taken to the comments section with pained vitriol. The group. Immediately following that. Its no secret that many musicians have employed this controversial symbol over the years; some still do today. I only stated my opinion that the confederate flag, at times, was unfairly being used as a symbol by various hate groups, which is something that we dont support the flag being used for. Lynyrd Skynyrd probably got the Confederate flag thing started about the time they had Sweet Home Alabama on the charts with the message to Neil Young in the lyrics " A southern band don't need you around anyhow". Just ask Neil Young. One of the original founding members, Gary Rossington, says in the video, Through the years, people like theKKKand skinheads kinda kidnapped the Dixie or Southern flag from its tradition and the heritage of the soldiers, thats what it was about. Sign Up to Our Newsletter for New Product Info and Great Deals to Your Inbox! Part of HuffPost Entertainment. Lynyrd Skynyrd graphic tee FanaraChic (52) $24.50 Vintage 90s Lynyrd Skynyrd T-Shirt, Fan Club, Band Tee, RARE, XL AwesomeVintageTees (1,344) $88.00 Lynyrd Skynyrd T-Shirt Lynyrd Skynyrd Rock Band Music Endangered Species Tour 1994 Unisex Black T-Shirt DinoLightShop (76) $25.18 Vintage Lynyrd Skynyrd Concert T Shirt 1990-91 4everfunky $139.00 They should have taken a name like Obamas Politically Correct Sell Your Soul Make Believe Impostors or something, opined another. Speaking with Guitar World, the singer revealed that this wasn't a wholly fictional depiction: "I was called a racist once for wearing an Alabama T-shirt. Then it got hijacked by racists somewhere along the way and turned into something really nasty. The design is modeled after the red, blue and white Confederate Battle Flag, with the 13 letters of "LYNYRD SKYNYRD . I support their decision. Registering for this site allows you to access your order status and history. Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1974 pro-southern anthem Sweet Home Alabama famously featured the flag on its cover, and the band used it liberally in their graphics, merch and stage act, as did such other. The divisive image - which many view as a symbol of racism due to its connections with slavery, while others argue is an emblem of Southern pride - has a long history with many rock artists. In a 2015 statement to Fox News, Rock said Please tell the people protesting that they can kiss my ass.. They were actually buddy buddy with Neil Young. In August, an Oregon school bus driver who was fired for flying the flag on his pickup truck (while on school property) won a ruling allowing him to sue the school district for violating his First Amendment rights. From the Lyrics of Sweet Home Alabama, "In Birmingham they love the governor (boo, boo, boo) Now we all did what we could do". Recently, Lynyrd Skynyrd told CNN that it has stopped associating itself with the Confederate flag because "it became such an issue about race." The flag had been hijacked by the KKK and other . In the aftermath of the Charleston shootings racial terrorism, Alabama decided to remove the flag from its state Capitol in Montgomery, and other states may soon follow suit. Lynyrd Skynyrdis arguably the classic rock group most closely associated with the flag. The Southern rockers previously announced they would end the band's 40-year tradition of using the Confederate flag as a backdrop for their live shows.. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. In an era of globalized and inclusive pop music, the fact that Lynyrd Skynyrd can adapt to changing attitudes about race and art is heartening. Show off your love for Lynyrd Skynyrd with these t-shirts! Or fastest delivery Mar 1 - 3. Just fill in the fields below, and well get a new account set up for you in no time. Walmart, Sears, eBay and Amazon decided to stop selling merchandise that used its image, CNN reported, noting "the announcements are the latest indication that the flag, a symbol of the slave-holding South, has become toxic.". In the song "All I Can Do Is Write About It", Ronnie laments about over-development and theenvironmental impact: "Cuz when I see the concrete, a slowly creeping, Lord take me and mine before that comes." ' On their farewell tour, Skynyrd eschews any overt display of the Confederate flag, choosing instead to perform in front of the U.S. flag and, during Sweet Home Alabama, that states colors, illustrating Rossingtons point about how there isnt much daylight, at least in his eyes, between the South and America. Some fans were quite vocal in their opposition to this change on various message boards, with some stating that the flag is a symbol of Southern pride. To the last original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, abandoning the Confederate flag signified the band cutting its ties to racism, the Ku Klux Klan and skinheads. SACRAMENTO (CBS13) Joe Tornello has displayed the confederate flag on his right arm for 40 years. Confederate iconography runs through the Southern rock and outlaw-country movement of the 1970s, and no single act, perhaps, was more associated with it than Skynyrd. But theres a meanness in the way that the South expresses itself politically, that is not reflective of what kind of people they are, and most of it is rooted in Civil War resentment.. If people are gonna look at that flag and think of it as representing slavery, then I say burn every one of them, the rocker declared in a 2015 interview with Radio.com. In 2004, during the thick of George W. Bushs presidential re-election campaign, The New York Times claimed the Republican Partys Southern Strategy amounted to Cranking up Skynyrd a concession that signified how thoroughly Lynyrd Skynyrd was associated with the South, but also signaled how far the band and the South had come since the 1970s. From the outset, Skynyrd danced on the edge of controversy, performing in front of the Confederate flag and alluding to George Wallace, the segregationist governor of Alabama, in song. This is not who we are. 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Except, thats not exactly true. Reset Password Also, Lynyrd Skynyrd was booked to play the Republican National Convention in Tampa, but Hurricane Isaac forced them to cancel. Its also difficult to lay the blame of Lynyrd Skynyrds use of the Confederate Flag entirely at the feet of MCA. It's even questionable what Lynyrd Skynyrd wanted it to mean; according to the 2006 Southern-rock history "Dixie Lullaby,"whose subtitle is "A Story of Race, Music and New Beginnings in a New South," the band's Confederate flag-waving rebel-outlaw brand was a creation of producer Al Kooper, who is from Brooklyn. We want to hear it. SEP 25, 2012 - (Photo credit: CC/JayUzi) The classic southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, known through the years for using the Confederate flag on their album covers and onstage, have finally decided to stop using the flag as a symbol onstage and on any further albums. Before you say it was. These incidents were later explained away by the band: MCA pushed the group to adopt the Stars and Bars, assuming itd accentuate their Southerness and rebellion, while the Sweet Home Alabama lyric In Birmingham they love the governor was said to be undercut by the backing vocals chanting boo boo boo afterward. The iconic Southern rock band incorporated its image into merchandise and marketing material for decades following their rise to fame in the early '70s, while also routinely using the Confederate flag as a backdrop during their live performances. The Only Confederate Flag That Mattered, Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Shirts, Confederate Flag Shirts, Civil Rights Movement Shirt . (Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune), (Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune). Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Daisy Jones & the Six becomes the first fictional band to hit No. While promoting the album on CNN on September 9, 2012, members of the band talked about its discontinued use of Confederate imagery. To the last original member ofLynyrd Skynyrd, abandoning the Confederate flag signified the band cutting its ties to racism, the Ku Klux Klan and skinheads. Not for sale or trade. Lynyrd Skynyrd used a Confederate flag from the 1970s until the 2010s, and several criticisms have been raised against them because of this. Check out our extensive selection of quality flags today. Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirts, awesome band hoodies and jackets - we have a ton! One note, the "flag" they always have used over the years is actually the the "battle flag of the Army of Tennessee", not the CSA National Flag. Such after-the-fact justifications paint Lynyrd Skynyrd in the best possible light, suggesting that any ugliness was not the fault of the band: either they had good intentions or were just playing the industrys game. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Before Martin changed careers to work in public relations, his research focused on the post-Reconstruction South particularly the era when " the Disneyfied Old South image became firmly entrenched in popular culture." - Vinyl LP, Lynyrd Skynyrd Devil In The Bottle Keychain, Lynyrd Skynyrd Keychain: Logo (Double Sided Patch), Lynyrd Skynyrd SOUTHERN ROCK Rub-on - Black. Rossington has since posted a message at the band's website to clarify his and the band's position. The Confederate flag means something more to us, Heritage not Hate -Gary Rossington. After making statements that indicated the band was no longer using the Confederate flag on stage, and suffering a huge backlash from much of their Southern fanbase as a result, Skynyrd has. Lynyrd Skynyrd, having formed in their hometown of Jacksonville, Fl, were/are Southern boys through and through, and so the Confederate Flag (CF) was/is a symbol of their proud heritage of being SouthernAfter Neil Young wrote and recorded 'Southern Man' and 'Alabama', both meant as anti-south songs, the Skynyrd boys (namely Ronnie, Gary and Ed) Lynyrd Skynyrd are currently touring in support of their latest album, 'Last of a Dyin' Breed,' with North American dates booked through the end of October. The earliest incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd, formed by friends Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and Gary Rossington, performed under the moniker My Backyard, before switching to One Percent in 1968. Myself, the past and present members (that are from the South), are all extremely proud of our heritage and being from the South. Remembering Lynyrd Skynyrd's Deadly 1977 Plane Crash The Southern rock band has long been known for its 70s-era hits like Sweet Home Alabama and defiant embrace of Old Dixie imagery. Inevitably, as this latter-day Lynyrd Skynyrd which would eventually incorporate former Blackfoot leader Rickey Medlocke as its lead guitarist in 1996 continued to tour and release the occasional new record, they complicated a legacy that was never quite as simple as recycled histories made it seem. Please enter your email address. Visit Billboard Pro for music business news, Hayley Williams Drops Alt-Pop Ode to Quarantine Companions MyFriend, Twenty One Pilots Take on the Quarantine Blues With Level of Concern:Watch, Dave Grohl Once Lost His Mind Over a Secret Jam Sesh With Prince: Read HisStory. The band continues to use it in live shows. The Confederate or "Dixie" flag has long been controversial. I wanted to clarify the discussion of the Confederate Flag in our recent CNN interview. Tom Sizemore, Heat and Saving Private Ryan Actor, Dead at 61 Lynyrd Skynyrd remained a vital part of the cultural landscape for the next 40 years, which is the reason why their retirement from the road is garnering attention. Lynyrd Skynyrd Gretna Heritage Festival 2014, Lynyrd Skynyrd performs at the Gretna Heritage Festival on Saturday, October 4, 2014. Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" was them giving the middle finger to a number of other entertainers who had at the time released material declaring *all* Southerners to be racist because of the actions of an infamous handful. They used the flag image on multiple album covers; their standard stage set long included a massive Confederate battle flag backdrop. The band has claimed that the three syllables sung after the line "In Birmingham, they love the governor" are "boo, boo, boo," a quiet criticism of segregationist governor George Wallace's administration. Lynyrd Skynyrd launched its farewell tour earlier this month, confident in the knowledge that theyll be remembered as one of the great American rock & roll bands of the 20th century. Back when I would wear a Confederate flag on stage along with an American flag and a POW flag and a Dont Tread on Me flag I would be on tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd, and there wasnt a racist thought to be found, the rocker said. ", During their farewell tour, Lynyrd Skynyrd has chosen to perform in front of the American flag, also bringing out the Alabama state flag during their classic hit Sweet Home Alabama., Tom Petty, who, like the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, was raised in Florida,briefly usedthe Confederate flag during his 1985 tour, a decision he later called downright stupid. In 1985, I released an album called Southern Accents. Gov. While theyd shed members over the years, either due to disagreement or death, this reconstituted group kept the flame burning another 30 years, more than tripling the lifespan of the original band. From that point forward, Southern rockers made it a point to carry a tradition forward instead of blazing new ground and nobody was prouder than Lynyrd Skynyrd. Lynyrd Skynyrd Plot Farewell Tour. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. Lynyrd Skynyrd Southern by The Grace of God Music Poster 24x36 inch Paper 5.0 (1) $1399 $2.99 delivery Mar 9 - 14 Or fastest delivery Mar 8 - 13 They loved their guitars. Zakk Wylde and Bret Michaels are other musicians to have featured the image on their instruments. That really . > Read more. For many, the Confederate flag is just as synonymous with Lynyrd Syknyrd as the lead riff of "Sweet Home Alabama." But in a 2012 interview with CNN, guitarist Gary Rossington, the band's lone. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. This group was not a Confederate flag-waving, redneck band. Lynyrd Skynyrd (formed in 1966) is an American southern hard-rock, country and blues band hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, in the U.S. It's no secret that many musicians have employed the controversial flag over the years. Hood likened it to the swastika and said it was used after the Civil War as a way of intimidating black people: People say The South will rise again The South will never rise again as long as we keep our heads up our asses. Fuck that flag., How to Hear Pink Floyds Long-Lost Animals Guitar Solo, Former Jackson Browne Guitarist David Lindley Dead at 78, Neil Young Announces Two 70s-Era Bootleg Releases, Jeff Tweedy Revisits Past Drug Addiction in New Audible Original: Exclusive, Pete Townshend and Joe Perry Guest on Ann-Margrets New Album, ABBAs Bjorn Ulvaeus Issues Warning Over Future of Avatars, Brian Eno to Name the Earth asHis Co-Writer, Legendary Saxophonist Wayne Shorter Dead at 89. Stripes & Stars Logo Regular Mens T-shirt, Sweet Home Alabama Tissue T V-Neck Tissue Junior Top. It is this perceived "attitude" which has led to Lynyrd Skynyrd earning a reputation as a "racist" band. In the new book "Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South,"scholar Charles Hughes illuminates the trickiness of color lines during the rise of Southern rock. Required fields are marked *. This is the paradoxical, hospitable, formidable South that gave birth to Southern Rock legends, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Old-School Jacket Updated! Other artists have used the flag ironically, in an attempt to subvert its meaning. My favorite band back then was Lynyrd Skynyrd and they unfurled the big flag on the stage every night," said Tornello.' Once an inked-up president of The story Skynyrd's always told is that their label, MCA, made them adopt the Confederate flag. Among them, Grammy nominated country-rockers Confederate Railroad, who continue to use the flagin their logo and on merchandise, despite losing gigs as a result. They should have taken a name like 'Obama's Politically Correct Sell Your Soul Make Believe Impostors' or something.". We will no longer sell that horrible thing! This isnt the real Lynyrd Skynyrd anyway. We didnt want that to go to our fans or show the image like we agreed with any of the race stuff or any of the bad things., Sean Hannity Wonders Why You Can Buy a Jay Z Album But Not a Confederate Flag. Shop officially licensed Lynyrd Skynyrd Shirts at Rockabilia. "I was 18 years old. To some of the band's fans, it meant cutting ties to Lynyrd Skynyrd. The fact that it still flew at the state Capitol building in Columbia prompted a nationwide outcry and protest on the statehouse grounds, and on Monday (June 22) South Carolina governor Nikki Haley called for its removal. Don't miss a beat. As a result, the band used its Facebook page to let the world know that it would continue to display the flag at all of its shows. Trending America has been deeply conflicted about the Confederate battle flag for generations. While the Confederacy used three different flags, the flag most commonly called the Confederate flag was its battle flag. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. The tragedy seemed to provide a neat conclusion to Skynyrds story, forever tying the band and, specifically, Ronnie Van Zant to the New South of the 1970s, an era when the states below the Mason Dixon line attempted to refashion themselves as progressive in the wake of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The Confederate flag became closely associated with rock n roll in part because of Lynyrd Skynyrd. "Good luck with your next release 'Sweet home Massachusetts.' First of all, the Ronnie Van Zant of legend doesnt quite square with the real Ronnie Van Zant. Even in 2013, Brad Paisley and L.L. This may be a thin thread to connect Skynyrd with Carter, but the overarching fact remains that during the groups prime, Southern Rock was not a regressive music it was a rowdy, progressive vision of the future, representing how the South was eager to put the turmoil of the 1960s in the past. The state of New York will no longer sell or display anything considered a "symbol of hate," including the Confederate flag, according to a bill just signed into law. That version of a New South died when Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980 in an election that turned the South red. Good luck with your next release Sweet home Massachusetts. I am sure it will climb the charts with a bullet in Yankee-land, said one. Answer (1 of 10): Ninety nine percent of people in the South who display the Confederate flag are not racist. It's time for it to be tucked away into the history books - and stay there. In a 2015 interview, the Motor City Madman explained that he wouldnt don such attire these days. Then Charlie Daniels had The South's Gonna Do It Again. In September 2012, the band briefly did not display the Confederate flag . As one of the most iconic bands in southern rock history, Lynyrd Skynyrd has several logos associated with its memorabilia. They are displaying a flag that represented a nation that their ancestors fought and died for. A tragic tipping point had spurred an avalanche of great proportions, and even many who had long cringed at the display of the symbol were surprised at its size, that government and big business were so ready to repudiate the image. Bell Automotive 22-1-70192-8 Rock-n-Ride Lynyrd Skynyrd Universal Bucket Seat Cover. I dont like that, The Weeknd is getting mocked for his response to Rolling Stones The Idol expos, Daisy Jones & the Six review: Riley Keough fronts a rock soap opera, Aaron Carters mom posts awful photos from death scene, pushes for homicide inquiry, Wayne Shorter, influential jazz saxophonist and composer, dies at 89. Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist and founding member Gary Rossington has clarified comments he made on a recent CNN interview, and now states that the band will display the Confederate flag at their shows 'every night.'. 4 interest-free payments on orders over $45 with Learn More. Culture Racists Ruined the Confederate Flag for Lynyrd Skynyrd To the last original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, abandoning the Confederate flag signified the band cutting its ties to. Some have worn it as a symbol of heritage, others have adopted it in an effort to subvert. Lynyrd Skynyrd The classic rock band from Jacksonville, Fla., was never shy about displaying the Confederate flag. It reads: I wanted to clarify the discussion of the Confederate Flag in our recent CNN interview. Many music lovers have applauded Lynyrd Skynyrd's move to disassociate itself from the confederate flag, but some of the southern rock band's fans have been upset by the shift. Lynyrd Skynyrd Sticking With Confederate Flag After All Band backtracks on decision to end its affiliation with the controversial symbol after getting feedback from fans By Josh Grossberg Sep 24 . Lynyrd Skynyrd is arguably the classic rock group most closely associated with the flag. Perhaps the latter-day version of Skynyrd never cut an album that could hold its own with the work of the original band they lacked a songwriter as sharp and humane as Ronnie, and Johnny Van Zanthad a hard time resisting some cornball tendencies, like bellowing in a bluesy bluster and punctuating his renditions of Ronnie classics with incessant stage banter. African Americans love Lynyrd Skynyrd. Confederate iconography runs through the Southern rock and outlaw-country movement of the 1970s, and no single act, perhaps, was more associated with it than Skynyrd.