After being around for 40 years, Lynyrd Skynyrd has some pretty strong connections in the music business. Some of their best friends and frequent collaborators are superstars as well, including Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, and Cheap Trick.
All of the above mentioned artists came together to honor Skynyrd in 2014 when the band hosted their One More for the Fans special. Their friends all stepped up on stage and delivered their best renditions of their classic songs such as “Gimme Back My Bullets” and “Call Me the Breeze.”
Another artist that took part in the special was Skynyrd’s good friends in Blackberry Smoke. The Southern rock/country group delivered one rockin’ version of “Workin’ for MCA” that night. But the group has a longer history of covering Skynyrd’s tunes that you probably didn’t realize.
Blackberry Smoke got their start by opening shows for some of the biggest rock groups at the time. One of those groups was Skynyrd, and their time spent on tour together allowed the guys in Blackberry Smoke to deliver an even greater appreciation for the Southern rock legends.
Since then, Blackberry Smoke has never been afraid to shy away from Skynyrd covers. Other than “Workin’ for MCA,” the group has also covered “Tuesday’s Gone” and “Simple Man.”
When it comes to the latter, footage surfaced in 2010 of Blackberry Smoke performing “Simple Man” way back in 2003. This was just three years after the band started up, and they were already proving their talent was something worth recognizing.
This particular performance was filmed by a fan who attended the group’s show at the Easyriders bike show in Ohio. Staying true to Skynyrd’s version of the song, Blackberry Smoke left their hearts on the stage as they poured passion into every note of their performance.
We’ve seen a lot of “Simple Man” covers, but this one really takes the cake. Blackberry Smoke captures the song’s natural energy in their cover unlike any other we’ve listened to before.
Now it’s time for you to tune in to Blackberry Smoke’s performance so you know exactly what we’re talking about. You can check it out below.
These guys offered a perfect tip of the hat to Skynyrd with this one!
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!