Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Johnny Van Zant Donates $10,000 To Nashville Tornado Relief

Rickey Medlocke via Zimbo

Johnny Van Zant may be a Florida boy born and raised, but a piece of his heart belongs to Tennessee as well.

Van Zant, who has served as the lead vocalist of the Southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd for over 30 years, has strong ties to Tennessee, particularly Nashville. So he was understandably heartbroken when he saw the news that a tornado destroyed large portions of the city and the surrounding area.

The tornado, which swept through early on Tuesday (March 3) left immense destruction in its wake. As of press time, The Washington Post states at least 24 deaths resulted from the storm.

The people of Nashville and others from across the country quickly chipped in to help in any way they could. A telethon was organized for Wednesday (March 4), with country artists such as Thompson Square and Big & Rich manning the phones.

During the telethon, Van Zant called in to make a donation of $10,000 toward the relief efforts. He spoke with WKRN about his donation, making it clear how much Nashville means to him:

“We love Nashville for one,” he said, speaking on behalf of all members of Lynyrd Skynyrd. “Our management is out of there. Our agents are out of there. I even have a daughter that lives in Tennessee. I call Nashville my second home.”

Van Zant nudged others to donate to the cause. “I would encourage other artists if you’ve got an extra 10 grand to give and match ours,” he said. “Hey you know the way I feel if you have 50 cents, 10 cents, every bit will help out.”

You can follow in Van Zant’s lead and make a donation to the relief efforts. Or, if you live in or close to Nashville, you can help by donating resources and time.

Here are the various ways you can help Nashville and the surrounding areas recover from the aftermath of the tornado:

• If you live nearby, the Community Resource Center (CRC) is in need of the following items: trash bags, paper towels, work gloves, cleaning supplies, bleach, box cutters, personal hygiene items, and baby diapers.
• You can volunteer your time through Hands on Nashville by visiting this link.
• The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has established an emergency fund to help with relief efforts. You can make a donation to the fund here.
• Monetary donations can also be made through The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties by texting RELIEF2020 to 41444 or by visiting this website.

Hats off to Van Zant for making such a generous donation to the relief efforts in Tennessee. Our hearts hurt for the state and its people, and they will remain in our prayers.