Lynyrd Skynyrd's Rickey Medlocke talks hometown Fort Myers show, band's legacy and more

ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd rock the stage together Saturday at Hertz Arena. But when they're offstage? They're fans just like everyone in the audience.

On their co-headlining tour, the ZZ Top guys often watch Lynyrd Skynyrd from the side of the stage, says Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke. And Medlocke and the Skynyrd guys usually check out ZZ Top, too.

That's the great thing about being an older rock 'n' roller, he says. All those long-ago rivalries have long melted away.

Now they're just celebrating the music they love together.

"Bands like this, there's only a handful," says Medlocke, 74, a longtime Fort Myers resident. "And when we can all get together and maybe play together and perform together, hey, I'm all for it man.

"Just to take people on a walk of history. Because that's exactly what it is ― it's rock history standin' in front of you."

Medlocke recently discussed Skynyrd's tour with ZZ Top (nearly sold out at Hertz Arena), his new solo band, what's going on with Blackfoot and more with The News-Press/Naples Daily News. Here's what he had to say about:

Touring with ZZ Top on the Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour

The name of The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour combines two of the bands' biggest hits: ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man.

The tour launched in July 2023. The Hertz Arena show is part of a new leg that kicks off Friday in Savannah, Georgia.

"Last year was just over the top," Medlocke says. "Both bands – we got along great, the crews got along great together. And we talked about continuing this, even last year. And so here it is."

It's always fun touring with ZZ Top, he says.

"They've been such good friends of ours, especially Billy (Gibbons) and Frank (Beard)," he says. "I've known them for many, many years. And I'm just looking forward to joining up with them again and having a buncha fun."

Playing a hometown show in the Fort Myers area

Lynyrd Skynyrd played Hertz Arena for a 2022 Hurricane Ian fundraiser. They usually don't come back to cities this soon, Medlocke says, but he's glad they are.

"I'm really happy about it," Medlocke says. "Because we went for such a long time of not playing my hometown here."

It doesn't necessarily feel different playing a hometown show, he says. But it definitely means something.

"You know what, every gig is special," he says. "But there's always a specialness about playing your hometown, you know. And really putting on a good show for everybody.

"I don't know, man, we're comin' full force and just really looking forward to it. Get ready, Fort Myers."

Lynyrd Skynyrd's new guitarist, Damon Johnson

New Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Damon Johnson steps into the shoes of the late Gary Rossington, the last surviving original member of Skynyrd. Rossington died in March 2023.

"Those are big shoes to fill, but Damon Johnson has done an incredible job," Medlocke says. "I give kudos to Damon.

"He's a great guitar player, has played with some great bands in his life ― Alice Cooper and Thin Lizzy, to name a few. And you know what, he has just come in and has done an incredible job."

The return of the Rickey Medlocke Band

Medlocke recently brought back his solo band, the Rickey Medlocke Band. This version has all-new members (but no Southwest Florida musicians).

"When Skynyrd's off the road and taking time off, I am just full of energy," Medlocke explains. "And I get bored really easy. I can only do so much fishing and so much boating, you know.

"So I wanted to write more. I wanted to play some."

Still, Medlocke says it's only a side project, and his first priority will always be Lynyrd Skynyrd.

"I promised Gary Rossington many, many years ago that ... I will be in Skynyrd until the last note in 'Free Bird' is struck," he says. "And that's what I'm gonna do.

"Now, I was hoping he would be here and it would be with him. But his spirit is with us. I'm still gonna do that. My No.1 thing is Lynyrd Skynyrd, and it always will be."

His solo band's new single, 'Never Run Out of Road'

The Rickey Medlocke Band's new single, "Never Run Out of Road," has been around for years, Medlocke says. And they finally nailed it down recently for the new version of the Rickey Medlocke Band.

The song is based on his longtime love of touring and playing live.

"My life has always been about being on the road," Medlocke says. "At the end of a tour (with Lynyrd Skynyrd), I just hated to go home. … What it really comes down to, bro, the bottom line is: I love to play. I love to play music."

The single is also a fundraiser for the MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) movement. Proceeds benefit the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center and two other organizations, he says.

That fundraising goes hand-in-hand with the band's new record label, Rock the Cause.

"When you go with them, you select a charitable organization that really means something to you," Medlocke says. "Well, I'm over half native (American), and I picked the subject which is really ― not too many people realize this ― but it's an epidemic in this country and in Canada.

"Tens of thousands ― since they started tracking it ― of older women, middle-aged women, young women, young girls, children of native origin. … They've disappeared or they've been deceased under bad circumstances."

What's going on with Blackfoot

Medlocke revived his old Southern rock band, Blackfoot, in 2016 with a major twist: There wasn't a single member from the original '70s group. Medlocke produced the band and co-wrote most of the songs.

But that band doesn't exist anymore, he says.

"I put a halt to the name," he says. "I own the name. I opened the files, put it in its folder and tucked it away."

Melocke declined to go into why he did that, saying there were "a lot of reasons, too many" and that it was "hard to go into."

"I just felt like it was time to tuck it away," he said.

Lynyrd Skynyrd's ongoing legacy

Medlocke grew up with the founders of Lynyrd Skynyrd in Jacksonville. He played with the band in the early '70s, left to reform his band Blackfoot and then rejoined Skynyrd in 1996.

So he sees himself as a vital part of the band and its musical legacy.

"Contrary to what people believe, Gary (Rossington) never wanted the music to die with him," Medlocke says about the late Lynyrd Skynyrd guitar player. "He wanted the band to continue on and to take all those great songs and all that great music.

"Because Skynyrd is all about the music. And all about great songs. And the fans come out and they love it, and we just try to deliver it and give it 110 percent every night."

Medlocke says he still hasn't quit grappled with Rossington's death yet.

"You know, having lost Gary last year ― almost a year now ― having lost him, personally for me, I haven’t quite come to grips with it and settled with it yet," he says. "I still miss him."

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How to get tickets to ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd

Saturday's concert is nearly sold out, but there were still some tickets left as of Monday afternoon. Here's what you need to know about the show:

Who: Classic-rock superstars ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, March 9

Where: Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Parkway, Estero

Tickets: $100-$343. Limited seats remain.

Parking: On-site parking is $30. Free parking is available next door at Miromar Outlets.

Info: 948-7825 or hertzarena.com

Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him at crunnells@gannett.com. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagram (@crunnells1).

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top tour: Rickey Medlocke on Blackfoot, solo band