Southern rock icons Lynyrd Skynyrd take farewell tour to Hersheypark Stadium on July 28
From a press release:
After a career that has spanned more than 40 years and includes a catalog of more than 60 albums, Southern rock icons Lynyrd Skynyrd will embark on their final Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour, presented by Sirius XM.
The first leg of the career-concluding tour will kick off in West Palm Beach, Florida and cross the country throughout the summer over Fridays and Saturdays to give fans one last memorable night of classic American rock and roll. It will stop at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday, July 28 at 6 p.m.
Tickets, which are $22.50, $35, $49.50, $69.50, $89.50, and $129.50 (processing fees apply), go on sale next Friday, Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. and will be available at the Hersheypark Stadium box office (100 W. Hersheypark Dr., Hershey), online at hersheyentertainment.com and ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 717-534-3911 or 800-745-3000. VIP packages will be available at lynyrdskynyrd.com.
“It’s hard to imagine, after all these years, the band that Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, and myself started back in Jacksonville would resonate for this long and to so many generations of fans. I’m certain they are looking down from above, amazed that the music has touched so many,” said Gary Rossington, founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant added, “We’ve been blessed by these great songs and the messages they carry to the fans. It’s been a true honor to try and fill in my brother’s footsteps for the past 31 years, keeping the music and his spirit alive.”
In addition to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, they will be joined on stage by numerous friends throughout the tour, including but not limited to Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr., Charlie Daniels Band, Bad Company, Marshall Tucker Band, 38 Special, Blackberry Smoke, and Blackfoot. The tour derives its name from their new song “The Last of the Street Survivors” and the band’s fifth studio album, “Street Survivors,” that is certified multi-platinum by the RIAA and includes the platinum single “What’s Your Name.”
The Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour marks a big moment for three generations of fans, as the band has been consistently touring since it took a decade off in 1977. Lynyrd Skynyrd is best known for their platinum anthems “Sweet Home Alabama” and self-proclaimed signature song “Free Bird” that Rolling Stone said was “easily the most requested live song in existence.” They’re also known for their live performances that usually include their beloved elongated version of “Free Bird,” most often played at the end of their set and on their live albums, including the multi-platinum-certified “One More from the Road.”
With more than 30 million units sold over their career, the group that USA Today called the “whiskey-soaked genre’s most popular and influential crew” has become a cultural icon that has spanned five decades. With everlasting hits such as “Simple Man,” “Gimme Three Steps,” “What’s Your Name,” “Call Me the Breeze,” “You Got that Right,” and more, Rolling Stone named Lynyrd Skynyrd one of its “100 Greatest Bands of All Time.”
Original members Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, and Larry Junstrom formed the band in 1964. Originally known as My Backyard, Lynyrd Skynyrd changed to its famous name in the early 1970s and became popular in the Jacksonville, Florida area, where the original members were from. They signed with Sounds of the South Records in 1972 and released their self-titled disc the following year. The album that featured “Free Bird,” arguably the most-recognized single in the Southern rock genre, has sold more than two million units since its release. Later down the road, the band recorded iconic tracks “Sweet Home Alabama” and “What’s Your Name.”
The band’s story took a tragic turn in October 1977 when a plane crash took the lives of Van Zant, Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and several members of their road crew. Lynyrd Skynyrd took a decade-long hiatus before reuniting for a tour and live album, “Southern by the Grace of God.” Since then, the band has toured and recorded extensively, with their most recent release being “Last of a Dyin’ Breed.” Their current lineup includes original member Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Dale Krantz Rossington, and Carol Chase. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
The wristband policy will be in effect for this concert. Fans are permitted on the Hersheypark Entertainment Complex property beginning at 7 a.m. on Feb. 2. Two hours prior to the on-sale, fans will be directed in front of the Giant Center box office, where they will be issued a numbered wristband. Wristbands are available for one hour and, at the conclusion of that hour, a selected fan will randomly choose a wristband that will determine the line order. Once the line is in place, fans arriving after the wristbands were issued will be escorted to the end of the numbered line.
