Artimus Pyle Band – Anthems: Honoring the Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd (2024)

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Drummer Artimus Pyle is the last surviving member of Lynyrd Skynyrd who was with the band on the night of the fatal plane crash on October 20, 1977 that took the life of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister and background vocalist Cassie Gaines, along with three others.

After legendary Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington passed away earlier this year, that left Pyle as the final surviving band member who was on that plane. And 46 years later, Pyle is still doing his best to keep their memories – and the music of Skynyrd – alive.
Now with his ARTIMUS PYLE BAND he is releasing “Anthems – Honoring The Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd“, new versions of classics such as ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, ‘Simple Man’, ‘Workin for MCA’, ‘Freebird’ featuring some great guests joining Pyle for some of Skynyrd’s biggest hits – including one of Gary Rossington last recordings, performing his iconic guitar solo on ‘Freebird’.
There was along time we didn’t hear s ‘stereo record’ like this: the guitar really comes from one speaker, then the organ from the other, ‘that’ sound. Production is excellent, pristine. And having Sammy Hagar putting his voice to ‘Simple Man’ just worth this album alone.

Long considered the “wild man” of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Artimus Pyle’s powerful and distinctive double bass drumming helped define the legendary SKYNYRD sound. Artimus got his first real break at the Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam. His first recording lists — Artimus Pyle, percussion. Then with other work for the Marshall Tucker Band, Artimus became known as a powerful session drummer.

Using his connections with Charlie Daniels and Marshall Tucker, both acts that often toured with SKYNYRD, Artimus met with Ronnie Van Zant and Ed King at Studio One in Doraville, Georgia.
The results of that meeting — “Saturday Night Special” — greatly impressed Ronnie. Artimus’s live debut with the band took place in Jacksonville’s Sgt Pepper’s Club in October 1974. He would replace their original drummer (Bob Burns) following the release of the group’s second album, “Second Helping”, and performed with the band and on SKYNYRD’s following four albums, “Nuthin’ Fancy”, “Gimme Back My Bullets”, “Street Survivors” and their live album, “One More For The Road”.
Pyle was injured but survived the band’s 1977 horrific plane crash that abruptly ended the lives of six people, including band members Steve and Cassie Gaines, and most notably, frontman and musical visionary Ronnie Van Zant.

Now 46 years later, Artimus Pyle is honoring the music that propelled him into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Artimus is legendary within the Southern Rock space. The music that LYNYRD SKYNYRD made will always live as a part of rock history. This album honors that music and gives Artimus a way to honor his former bandmates.
And it’s really, really good.

Tracklist:
1. I Know a Little (Feat. Michael Ray)
2. Sweet Home Alabama (Feat. Ronnie Dunn)
3. Simple Man (feat. Sammy Hagar)
4. Needle and the Spoon (Feat. Lindsay Ell)
5. The Ballad of Curtis Loew (Feat. Chris Janson)
6. Workin for MCA (Feat. Lee Brice)
7. That Smell (Feat. Jerrod Niemann)
8. Gimme Three Steps (Feat. Marty Raybon)
9. Call Me the Breeze (Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus)
10. Saturday Night Special (Feat. Warren Haynes)
11. The Hunt
12. What's Your Name (Feat. LoCash)
13. Freebird (Feat. Dolly Parton)

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