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 Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Johnny is the younger brother of Ronnie Van Zant, who helped start Lynyrd Skynyrd. He is also the brother of Donnie Van Zant, who started the band 38 Special.

Johnny Van Zant's Music Journey

Early Bands and Solo Work

In the 1970s, Johnny Van Zant started his music career. He played with his first band, the Austin Nickels Band. Later, they changed their name to The Johnny Van Zant Band. This band released their first album, No More Dirty Deals, in 1980.

The early members of his band included Johnny on vocals. Robbie Gay played guitar, and Danny Clausman played bass. Erik Lundgren was on lead guitar, and Robbie Morris played 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 while.

Joining Lynyrd Skynyrd

In 1987, Johnny Van Zant became the lead singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band had reunited, and Johnny also became their main songwriter. He still records and performs with Lynyrd Skynyrd today.

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

Working with His Brother

Since 1998, Johnny has also performed with his brother, Donnie. Their band is called Van Zant. They have released several albums together.

In April 2022, Johnny Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd played a show in Arizona. Johnny mentioned that original band member Gary Rossington was recovering from an illness.

Health and Other Interests

In May 2006, Johnny had to have emergency surgery. His appendix was removed. This happened just before a concert. The band had to cancel three shows because of this.

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

In August 2011, Johnny was in the hospital again. He had an infection from a past surgery. This infection caused him to cancel more shows.

Johnny Van Zant's Albums

Van Zant performing with Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2009

Here is a list of albums Johnny Van Zant has been a part of:

Music Videos

See also

In Spanish: Johnny Van Zant para niños