Ronnie Van Zant Final Interview 1977

We once again rummaged through our dusty archives and found a real gem. This never before seen or heard interview with Ronnie Van Zant was found underneath a stack of old ABBA trading cards and Creem magazines.

This Van Zant interview, conducted by renowned rock journalist Claude Balzac, was recorded during Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Tour of the Survivors. Claude hung with the band during the final days of the tour. Balzac rode on the bus and stayed in the hotel with the boys October 15-18 in Florida.

Madhouse Magazine: Hi Ronnie, thanks for talking to us, I am super excited about your latest album.

Ronnie Van Zant: Thank You Claude – Me and the boys love your magazine. As you know from riding on the bus with us, We spend all our down time reading and laughing at the articles. I love when you make fun of Neil Young. He’s a talented artist, but what a jackass.

Neil Young

Madhouse: Let’s address the Neil Young feud. Tell us the whole story

Van Zant: Ok I will summarize. Neil Young wrote, ‘Southern Man’ & ‘Alabama’. He criticized the South and then we wrote, ’Sweet Home Alabama’. What you don’t know is that Neil Young is a weenie from Canada and I banged his wife. I didn’t know it was his wife at the time, but I met her at Woodstock in 1969 and we balled in the woods. She left him a few months later and he wrote, ‘Southern Man’. I can’t blame him, and it is a great song. He owes me.

Madhouse: That is an amazing story. What other celebrity stories can you share?

Van Zant: When we opened for The Stones, they told us to do whatever we wanted onstage except walk out on the gigantic prop tongue protruding into the audience. So of course that is the first thing we did. We don’t like being told No.

Street Survivors

Madhouse: You have a new album out called ‘Street Survivors’ just released this week. I love it.

Van Zant: Thanks Claude, I am proud of that album and think there is a lot of good stuff on there. I see potentially our biggest selling album and a bunch of singles. Did you know I wrote, ‘That Smell’ about Keith Moon’s feet? He had the worst smelling feet. They were like death warmed over and whenever you fell asleep he would stick them in your face and in your mouth. I ended up with hoof and mouth disease from that guy, but I love him.

Ronnie Van Zant Final Interview — Ronnie Van Zant Illustration By Paul King Art

Gators

Madhouse: [laughs] So I have been enjoying my time hanging out with you guys. It has been quite an experience traveling all over Florida with you boys.

Van Zant: [laughs] Yeah I did not think you could keep up but you have. I am impressed. I bet you never wrestled an alligator before?

Madhouse: I can honestly say I have not, and I certainly did not expect to be doing that while on this tour.

Van Zant: You were pretty good at it too, Do I see a new profession for you?

Madhouse: No I think I will stick with the Rock n Roll thing. My memory is kind of hazy, what did we do after the gator wrestling?

Van Zant: Oh man that was the best. We drove up to Jupiter, Florida to see my buddy Burt Reynolds. He owns a dinner theater up there. After the play, we went on a bender with Burt, Charles Nelson Reilly and Dom DeLuise. We ended up stealing an air boat and driving around the Everglades. After a big bar fight, we ended up getting arrested and Sally Field bailed us out. Charles was kind of sweet on you. I can give you his phone number if you want?

Madhouse: No I am good thanks. So let’s reminisce a bit. What would you be doing if you weren’t a singer in a rock n roll band?

Interpretive Dance

Van Zant: Well I loved boxing and I loved baseball as a kid. I could kick more ass than a donkey and hit a baseball a country mile but my true passion was interpretive dance. My heroes growing up were Mickey Mantle, Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Page, Paul McCartney and Alvin Ailey. I would have definitely been a dancer if it weren’t for Rock n Roll.

Madhouse: Well, Thank You Ronnie, I had an amazing time with you and I love you guys. It’s been fun.

Van Zant: All right Claude, it’s been real. I look forward to seeing you soon and I will tell Charles Nelson Reilly you said hello [laughs].

*Tragically Ronnie died a few days later on October 20, 1977. Van Zant was 29 years old. Ronnie told his band members and family that he never saw himself living to 30. He was right. It is stated that Ronnie’s last words were.. ‘Hey, if the Lord wants you to die on this plane, when it’s your time, it’s your time. Let’s go, man. We’ve got a gig to do, and F*ck Neil Young’”.