Johnny Van Zant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Van Zant
Van Zant in 2012
Background information
Birth name	John Roy Van Zant
Born	(1960-02-27) February 27, 1960 (age 65) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Southern rock, country
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1976–present

John Roy Van Zant (born February 27, 1960), known as Johnny Van Zant, is an American singer. He is the main singer for the famous Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Johnny is also the younger brother of Ronnie Van Zant, who helped start Lynyrd Skynyrd. His other brother, Donnie Van Zant, started the band 38 Special.

Early Music Days

Johnny Van Zant started his music journey in the 1970s. He first performed with his band, the Austin Nickels Band. Later, they changed their name to The Johnny Van Zant Band.

In 1980, they released their first album, No More Dirty Deals. The band included Johnny on vocals, Robbie Gay on guitar, Danny Clausman on bass, Erik Lundgren on lead guitar, and Robbie Morris on drums. Joan Hecht and Nancy Henderson sang background vocals. Johnny released three more solo albums between 1981 and 1985. After that, he took a break from music for a short time.

Joining Lynyrd Skynyrd

In 1987, Johnny Van Zant became the lead singer and main songwriter for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band had reunited, and Johnny helped bring their music back to fans. He still records and performs with them today.

In 1990, he released another solo album called Brickyard Road. The song "Brickyard Road" became a big hit, reaching number one on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for three weeks.

Johnny also performs with his brother Donnie in a band called Van Zant. They have been making music together since 1998.

Health and Other Interests

In May 2006, Johnny Van Zant had to have emergency surgery. He had his appendix removed in Palo Alto, California. This health issue made the band cancel three shows in the U.S.

On August 6, 2011, Johnny was hospitalized again. This was due to problems from a past surgery. He had an infection that needed treatment with medicine. Because of this, Lynyrd Skynyrd had to cancel several planned performances.

Johnny Van Zant is a big fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a football team. He recorded a video with other members of Lynyrd Skynyrd. This video is played at every Jaguars home game on the TIAA Bank Field video screen.

Discography

Van Zant performing with Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2012

Music videos

See also

In Spanish: Johnny Van Zant para niños