Rock Star Brothers Cling to Faith After Family Tragedy: ‘Proud to Love Jesus’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Musical duo brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant have been through a lot throughout their decades-long career, but God has carried them through it all.
In 1977, a plane crash killed their brother Ronnie Van Zant, the frontman of classic rock group Lynard Skynard. His brothers still feel his influence on their lives today.
“Ronnie was a very simple guy. He was like a father figure to the guys in the band, you know,” Johnny told the “Jesus Calling” podcast. “He wrote a song called ‘Simple Man,’ and he sure lived that. God blessed him with the knowledge of how to write a song and how to put it in words. And still today, I mean, Lynyrd Skynyrd music’s four generations deep.”
The tragic crash took place over 47 years ago after the propeller-driven Convair 240 transporting the band ran out of fuel and was forced to make an emergency landing while traveling from Greenville, South Carolina to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Clarion Ledger reported.
Six people were killed, including Ronnie, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines. Twenty other people on the plane survived.
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“It about destroyed our family, to be truthful with you,” Donnie recalled. “I mean, that was a real hard one there. And it’s taken years. I mean, I still can’t get up, but I think about it right now.”
Throughout the years, the brothers faced other losses but continued playing music and relying on their faith. Now, the Van Zants have released a Christian music album titled Always Look Up.
“We have a bucket list of things we want to do together as brothers,” Donnie explained. “And making a Christian record is right there at the top. So we had a little saying between both of us that if we could just bring one person to Christ, it’d be worth the whole project, you know? So I think we made it. I think we made it for sure.”
Johnny added, “And what better way to make music than to sing about Jesus and our good Lord above and our Father in heaven, the Holy Spirit.”
He concluded, “We’re really proud to love Jesus. We’re proud to say that we’re Christians. We’re like everybody else, we had our dark sides, our really bad dark sides. But I think as you go through these storms in your life, you know what? You really realize how much you need Jesus. And you really have to lean on that cross. And you know what? He wants us to come to Him. And if you ask, you shall receive.”
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