Johnny Van Zant says Lynyrd Skynyrd to 'kick some big butt in Iowa' for RAGBRAI 50 concert

Don’t expect to see Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Johnny Van Zant on a bike taking on the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa anytime soon.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers behind megahits such as “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama” are set to headline Wednesday’s daylong entertainment lineup, which includes performances by The Nadas and Dave Zollo, when tens of thousands of people are expected to roll into Des Moines as part of RAGBRAI’s 50^th anniversary.

Van Zant, lead vocalist, told the Des Moines Register in a phone call from Atlanta he’d heard just as much about the audience he’d be performing for, “regular bicyclists” he called them, explaining he first thought cyclists meant motorcyclists.

“I have like a beach cruiser because I live in Florida and I ride myself. Actually tore my meniscus last year riding my (bike),” he said. “So, I know everybody should be in good shape.”

He added cycling is a “great workout.”

“It sounds like an adventure that I wish that I can do," Van Zant said. "I've just had knee replacements. That meniscus went into knee replacement, and I was like, 'Aw, man.' I'm good to play the show. But hopefully one day I'll be back on a bike full time."

Van Zant spoke to the Register about 50 years of Lynyrd Skynyrd, founding member and guitarist Gary Rossington and the band’s enduring fan base.

Note: Answers edited for clarity and length.

Des Moines Register: In an interview with Louder in 2020, you said about Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Look at what this band has been through, look where it came from, look at what the songs are about. It's about common people.” Do you think that's the reason why the band has amassed such an enduring, loyal fan base for all these years?

Johnny Van Zant: Our fans, we have doctors and lawyers, accountants and all that as fans too, but I think the core people are a lot of carpenters, truck drivers, housewives, military people. I think it just hits a broad spectrum of people. It really does, from old to young. We got a song called “Skynyrd Nation.” In the lyrics, it says three generations old, I think we're four now, I really do. Last night we were in Tampa and looking out at the audience I was just like, there's a lot of young kids out there that I know hadn't seen this band before. So they're getting turned on to the music from their parents or from their uncle or aunt or somebody, or a friend. It's just generational and the Skynyrd brand has been blessed that it's been able to keep crossing over into generations. A lot artists don't have that. They have that period of time where they're famous and then people kind of forget about them. My brother Ronnie was just a scholar and a great writer and the words that he wrote and music that the boys played, it just hit the common people. Good God-fearing people, that’s what I’d call it, hardworking Americans and Europeans and Brazilians and all over the world.

Des Moines Register: It's been 50 years since the band's first album, “Pronounced ‘Lĕh-’nérd ‘Skin-’nérd, which was included in Rolling Stones Greatest Albums of All Time list. What have fans or other musicians told you about their experience with that album or with Lynyrd Skynyrd?

Van Zant: There's so many of them from Metallica to last night; we're out with ZZ Top doing shows. Billy Gibbons on the side of the stage watching "Free Bird." The music has really touched a lot of the newer country guys and girls. It's a pretty amazing thing. Years ago we were over in France. We were playing this festival years ago. And it was like a heavy metal festival. I was like, "How did we get on this?"… We went on and went over so great. So the moral of the story is we came back to America after that and we were on a country fest and it was like Tim McGraw, Lady A. I was like, “OK, we’ve been to the heavy metal fest, now we're playing with the country people. The music just fits into all sorts of different genres, people that you wouldn't think would be…" I guess maybe if I live to be super old man sitting on the porch, I'll be like, 'Oh my God. This was an amazing ride.' But even after that somewhere some kids going to pick up a guitar, whether it be a girl or boy and go, I want to learn that lick "Sweet Home Alabama."

Des Moines Register: How should founding member and guitarist Gary Rossington, who died in March, be remembered? What should people know about him?

Van Zant: My brother Ronnie, and Allen and Gary started Skynyrd way back when when they were kids. Ronnie lost his life in the plane crash. Allen later on passed away and Gary was the last founding member of this band but he loved this band and he wanted to carry it on. That's why I'm talking to you today and coming to Iowa to be honest because when he passed, I actually went, “Well, maybe we should stop doing it.” There's so many generations that’s never got to hear this music live… Gary was a sweetheart. My best friend. He’s the one who called me up and asked me after the plane crash to come out and sing some songs. At that time, I didn't know if it was right or wrong. I was a Skynyrd fan before I was in Skynyrd. I love the music because I grew up around it. But he was my buddy. I miss him dearly but I know he'll be shining down on us to go kick some big butt in Iowa.

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Lynyrd Skynyrd to bring 'Sweet Home Alabama' to RAGBRAI 50