ATLANTA (AP) – A star-studded lineup of young and seasoned rockers took to the stage of Atlanta’s venerable Fox Theatre Wednesday night to honor Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band that fomented the Southern rock genre and was a 1970s radio staple.
Artists including Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, Alabama and Cheap Trick each took their turn performing Lynyrd Skynyrd standards, such as “Simple Man” and “What’s Your Name?”
The Fox Theatre was a fitting place to honor the band. Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded a 1976 live album, “One More From The Road,” at the Fox and a portion of the tribute concert’s proceeds went toward saving the venue from demolition.
A 1977 plane crash took the life of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and two other band members.
Aaron Lewis, the lead singer of Staind, got the audience rocking early with a moving rendition of “Saturday Night Special.” Before the show Lewis acknowledged being a fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd in his youth.