Skynyrd Shows Steel Town Who’s Boss With Rollicking Performance Of ‘Travelin’ Man’

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In 1997, Lynyrd Skynyrd managed to accomplish what had been impossible up until that moment. They recorded a duet between brothers Ronnie and Johnny Van Zant.  

After Ronnie passed away, Johnny filled in as Skynyrd’s lead vocalist. It’s a role that he’s held down for the past 30 years, honoring his brother at every show in the process.

Ronnie wrote the song “Travelin’ Man” long ago, but Skynyrd never recorded it in the studio. When it came time to put together their album Twenty to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the crash that took Ronnie’s life, Skynyrd decided to revisit the tune.

The resulting track was a virtual duet between Ronnie and Johnny. It was accomplished by blending Ronnie’s live vocals from an old recording with Johnny’s new vocals. Today, it remains one of the most unique and outstanding pieces in Skynyrd’s entire collection.

Skynyrd performed the song live a few months after Twenty‘s release for their Lyve from Steel Town show. Hosted in Pittsburgh, the show was recorded on July 15, 1997 and turned into a live album.

The concert was also filmed, and footage from the concert shows Skynyrd delivering one epic rendition of “Travelin’ Man.” 

Johnny turned in one of the best performances of his life that night, tearing into his part with impressive vocal ferocity. The rest of the band was also on fire, as they moved forward with a rollicking sense of energy.

But the best part came when Johnny turned around and motioned to a screen behind him. That’s when an old video of Ronnie suddenly appeared on the screen, and the crowd started roaring.

Words can’t capture how phenomenal this one performance was. So we’re just going to let you see it yourselves! Tune in below to check it out!

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd & Second Helping Live’ is available now on DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats – it’s the perfect gift for the Lynyrd Skynyrd fan in your life. Buy it here on Amazon!

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