Billy Gibbons pays tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd's Gary Rossington ...

ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons has opened up about his friendship with the late Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington, who recently passed away at the age of 71. Gibbons and Rossington joined one another on stage countless times over the years, and the ZZ Top member was instrumental in the band’s rise to fame.

“Gary Rossington’s loss is especially profound for us as we’ve spent countless hours in his company on tour and all points in between,” Gibbons told Rolling Stone. “We facilitated getting Lynyrd Skynyrd on the bill with ZZ Top at a South Carolina date way back during the start of the band’s rise in ’73, which started an enduring friendship.”

Gibbons held nothing back in praising his late friend’s skill as a guitarist. “Gary’s extraordinary ability as a guitarist was nothing less than inspirational. It’s an old cliché about somebody who has paid their dues to call them a ‘survivor,’ and it this case it is literally true. Gary was the last of the breed and will be missed,” he said.

Rossingtons cause of death remains unconfirmed. Before his passing, however, the guitarist explained that he underwent emergency heart surgery in 2021. He also suffered a heart attack in 2015. In 2021, Rossington discussed the impact of these health issues with Rolling Stone. “I can still play,” he said. “It’s just the travel and getting to planes and hotels. It’s so hard on me, especially when you got heart trouble.”

Breaking the news in a Facebook post, Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote: “It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today. Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does. Please keep Dale, Mary, Annie and the entire Rossington family in your prayers and respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time.”