Skynyrd’s Vulnerable Acoustic Performance Of ‘The Last Rebel’ Will Stir Your Soul

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Lynyrd Skynyrd is known for its hard rockin’ sound and triple guitar attack, but every now and then the group lowers things down a notch and goes acoustic. They did just that for their 1994 album Endangered Species, which featured some new material along with acoustic covers of their classic hits. 

A year prior, Skynyrd released their album The Last Rebel, which was named after the album’s fifth track. Written by Michael Lunn, Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, and White Johnson, “The Last Rebel” is one of the standout songs in Skynyrd’s catalog following their reunion.

To go along with the album, Skynyrd appeared on TNN to perform the title track. But this performance was different than what fans are used to seeing from Skynyrd.

Only three of the band members performed the song, with Johnny on vocals, Ed King on mandolin, and Gary on acoustic guitar. The stripped down instrumentals added to the vulnerability in Johnny’s voice as he sang, giving the song a new level of emotion.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d swear this was how “The Last Rebel” was meant to be played. The soft sound of the acoustic guitar and the light wail of the mandolin lend a sort of old time feel to the song, which seems fitting. After all, they are talking about someone who is the “last rebel,” a person who has been around for a while and seen a lot in life.

Following their performance, Johnny, Ed, and Gary sat down for a short interview, and they spoke briefly about how Skynyrd came up with its name. If you’re a Skynyrd fan, you likely know the story, but it’s always fascinating to listen to.

Watch Skynyrd’s acoustic performance of “The Last Rebel” in the clip below! Would y’all like to hear them do some more acoustic work in the future?

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