5 Iconic Rock Bands Currently Touring Without Their Original Frontman
No matter what happens the show must go on. But what happens when your leader cannot.
In the world of rock music, on of the biggest threats to a bands survival comes in the form of a frontman no longer being able to fulfill their duties. The leading man is in many cases a major part of a group's identity and larger than life factions like Nirvana, Linkin Park and Rage Against the Machine have called it quits after losing their lead vocalist.
Fortunately some of the biggest bands in the industry have found a way to soldier on either by finding a suitable replacement or in some cases being able to change their identity.
These 5 notable bands are still alive and well despite their original frontman no longer being around.
5. Lynyrd Skynyrd
The uncontested kings of southern rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their debut album in 1973 and never looked back. The Jacksonville Florida natives are best known for either "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama", both of which helped the group to hit the pinnacle of their fame in the mid 70s.
In 1977 after playing a show in Greenville, South Carolina the members boarded a plane heading to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The plane was forced to make an emergency crash landing in Mississippi after running out of fuel. The crash killed a number of individuals on board including guitarist Steve Gaines and frontman Ronnie Van Zant.
The remaining members of the group disbanded and went their separate ways. They reunited after a ten year hiatus for a one off reunion show with Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother Johnny taking over for his elder sibling. Afterwards Skynyrd decided that they would continue to tour and make music to the delight of their many fans.
Three decades and 9 studio albums later the American rockers are still going strong. They can currently be seen on the tail end of a North American tour that will be going through late October.