Get ready to yell, ‘Free Bird!’
7/5/2023
As a concert rocks along in most any venue with a large audience, there’s seemingly one fan who always yells, “Free Bird!” Correction. Not one, but hundreds of fans often shout it — over and over.
The iconic nine minutes from 1974’s “Free Bird” made Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Hits and will be performed live by Lynyrd Skynyrd at the RAGBRAI concert on July 26.
Rickey Medlocke, a guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd since 1996, was initially one of Skynyrd’s original drummers. Medlocke spoke to CITYVIEW and explained why he rejoined the band.
Medlocke started his own group, Blackfoot, where he was lead singer and guitarist, and found success. In 1995, he received a call to take part in the world premiere of “Freebird: The Movie.” He played in an all-star jam, reconnecting with Lynyrd Skynyrd members.
A few months later, Lynyrd Skynyrd co-founder Gary Rossington left a message on Medlocke’s answering machine, suggesting he learn how to play “That Smell,” “Free Bird” and “Saturday Night Special.”
“He said, if you pass the audition, I’ll give you $1.50 and a Snickers bar,” Medlocke said.
Allen Collins, the previous band member guitarist strummed similar to Medlocke’s guitar style.
“I knew what Allen was doing. ‘Free Bird’ was the easiest to learn, as I knew the licks. I blocked it off and played it in sections, then I put the sections together,” Medlocke explained.
During the audition, he jammed through the lead part, and Gary switched off the amp.
“ ‘It’s great,’ he told me. He asked me to re-join the band,” Medlocke said. “He asked if I was sure since I wouldn’t be a front man. I told him my old man always said, if you ride in the back seat of a Cadillac, then you can’t be a driver.”
About a decade later, Medlocke hopped on a tour bus and saw a Snickers bar with $1.50 wrapped in it and a note that said, “PAID IN FULL.”
After 28 years with the band, Medlocke feels blessed and fortunate. Their iconic song, “Sweet Home Alabama,” was recently recognized by Spotify with 1 billion streams.
“The music and lyrics were incredible. Ronnie (Van Zant) could really relate to everyday people with his lyrics,” he said.
Playing or hearing “Free Bird” still conjures a laugh for Medlocke.
“I was at a bar in Fort Myers listening to a band. I was with a buddy who said, ‘I wonder if someone yells ‘Free Bird.’ It’s so iconic.”
Medlocke came from a musical family and began playing a miniature banjo on a television show when he was 3 years old. He played drums, guitars and never thought he’d be performing to sold-out venues.
He mentored a young man on American Idol who sang the hit, “Simple Man.”
“The whole music scene has changed,” he said. “You write it, put it out and the show is basically like singing their demo. If we wanted to get an album out, we went to the studio, spent time writing, getting airtime on the radio and selling records. Today, anybody can put out a song and get streams on it.”
As the band has been honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and awarded numerous Grammy awards and other musical accolades, he’s flattered, but says he didn’t set his sights on it.
“I wanted to become a really good musician. People say I’m an icon. I get embarrassed by it. Eddie Van Halen — now he’s an icon. He totally reinvented the electric guitar,” he said.
Medlocke is excited for their tour and to return to Des Moines.
“I’m sure all the fans will yell ‘Free Bird’ at our concert and, you know, we’re probably going to play it.” ♦
