Gary Rossington, the only remaining original member in Lynyrd Skynyrd, has suffered a serious heart attack. The 63-year-old guitarist came close to losing his life, according to a statement posted online from his daughter, and is now under close observation.
Rossington has been experiencing heart problems for years, his daughter explained. “They went in to repair and unclog the two stents they did previously in the year which had a blood clot, added a third stent to one vein,” she wrote, “and in two weeks we will need to go in to do a fourth stent in one of his bypassed veins from 12 years ago.”
“We were very close to losing him this time and just pray that they will develop even better techniques soon to deal with heart disease,” she concludes.
Two upcoming shows in Terre Haute, IN and Mt. Pleasant, MI have been cancelled for now, with plans to reschedule in 2016. Rossington has been a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd since the original roster in 1964.
Get well soon, Gary!
[Via Jambands.com / Photo via Mike Horton/Getty Images]