The one time U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant doesn’t want anyone to forget the legacy of Ronnie Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

His connection with the band, especially Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, and Gary Rossington is profound. This bond was the inspiration for the new album from the Artimus Pyle Band, Anthems: Honoring the Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd.  As you’ll hear Pyle explain in the podcast, the new album plays all the songs the way they deserved to be – with respect and honour.

From a production standpoint, the album is outstanding; each of the thirteen tracks sounds full and rich. The singers’ performances are genuine and honest. Each artist adds their own style to their contribution to the album, but they never overshadow the original source material. You can hear that they recognize the musically sacred ground of Lynyrd Skynyrd and these songs.

Among the stand out tracks is Dolly Parton’s version of Freebird. The song not only includes Artimus Pyle on drums, but Gary Rossington played the slide guitar solo on the track. It would turn out to the the last song he played on. Rossington passed away early in 2023.

More information on the album, including some information on some limited editions, can be found at artimuspyle.com

This interview, which originally aired on Oldies Without Borders, covers a wide range of topics. We don’t just talk about the new album. Artimus also shares some heartfelt and bittersweet memories of his time with Lynyrd Skynyrd, including the night they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Oh – he’s also a big fan of Canada.

Copyright Peter J. Maurin, The Vinyl Professor. Published under Creative Commons License: Attribution/Non-Commercial Use.