In February, on the cusp of beginning the band's 30th anniversary celebration, founding guitarist Gary Rossington was rushed into emergency open heart surgery, forcing the Southern rock stalwarts to cancel the tour's kick-off and nearly a month of additional dates. It was a scare, to be sure; without Rossington, there may not be a Skynyrd to celebrate. But the guitarist quickly healed, as Lynyrd Skynyrd, seemingly without flinching, once again triumphed over tragedy.

Throughout its long, storied past, Lynyrd Skynyrd hasn't averted tragedy so much as it's just accepted it (reference the title of the new disc, Vicious Cycle). Just two years ago, founding bassist Leon Wilkeson—nicknamed the "Cat in the Hat" for his legendary tenacity and customary headdress—succumbed to natural causes. It was a tough blow. "God broke the mold when he built Leon," explained singer Johnny Van Zant. "He survived the plane crash and we always used to kid him, called him the 'Cat in the Hat' because he had nine lives." Now, with longtime friend Ean Evans in for Wilkeson and Rossington back to health, Lynyrd Skynyrd is hungry for a big year.

Not only is the timely, quintessentially Skynyrd single "Red, White & Blue" already a hit at radio, but the band's twelfth original studio album, Vicious Cycle, is also in stores and selling well. Two tribute albums, one featuring heavy bands such as Metallica and 3 Doors Down and another featuring jam-rock bands, are scheduled for release before year's end, and an upcoming Nashville performance will be shown via pay-per-view and chronicled on DVD. The band is booked around the world through—well, indefinitely—and if its duet with rapper/Southern rock revivalist/musical chameleon Kid Rock (who lent his Detroit-by-way-of-Hot'lanta bark to a reworked "Gimme Back My Bullets") takes off as a single, who knows when the Cycle will end?

Hopefully never, contends Medlocke, who is well into his second tour of duty with the Jacksonville, Fla.-based rock institution. Read on as Peavey talks with one of the most enduring and endearing rock bands of all time.

Peavey: How did you come to join Lynyrd Skynyrd, in both 1971 and 1996?

Rickey: I was with my band Blackfoot and we had some managerial problems, so I decided to split and pursue another project. I actually called up Allen Collins (original guitarist) and asked, "Hey, do you guys need someone to crew for you? I'll drive the truck or do whatever, I just need the gig." And he said, "You need to call Ronnie (Van Zant, original vocalist), 'cause we're looking for somebody in the band."

So I called him up, and he asked if I still played drums—at the time I hadn't sat at a drum set in a while, but needing the gig, I said, "Oh yeah, oh yeah," lying my butt off. A few days after I auditioned, I got my ticket, sold off my gear, flew to Jacksonville and was in rehearsal the night I arrived working up the material that would be on Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd and Skynyrd's First And … Last. I stayed with them almost three years, and after that I went back to Blackfoot and had success with them. I continued that group until '95.

Then I got invited to be part of the world premiere of Freebird: The Movie, and we had an all-star jam the night before, and I got onstage and jammed with the guys. It just felt right. So Gary asked me to learn "That Smell," "Free Bird," "I Ain't the One" and "Saturday Night Special," and in March of '96, he came down to my house. I learned everything note-for-note, just how Allen played it, because basically my style is similar to Allen's. I'd heard the songs all my life, so I knew where I was going. So he came down and I started playing "I Ain't the One," and right before the last verse he reached over and turned the CD deck off. He says, "You want to do this?" And I said, "You're damn right!" So we called Johnny and he said, "You ain't got a problem bein' just a guitar player?" I said, "No, not at all," 'cause my dad used to say, "if you can't ride in the back seat, you'll never be the driver." I figured it was time for me to ride in the back seat.

How did you make the transition from drums to guitar in Lynyrd Skynyrd?

Well, I'd already been a guitar player. I was playing guitar and singing lead in Blackfoot, so when I came back with Skynyrd it took a little while to get used to drums again, but I'm a musician, so I enjoyed it. I've been a musician all my life. My dad, Shorty, he's what "Curtis Loew" was about—it's based on my old man. He was in and out of Nashville all the time with Roy Acuff, a lot of different people. I was raised in a musical family.

We were a good band, but I knew I didn't want to stay behind the drums for the rest of my life, so I opted to leave. When Bob (Burns, original drummer) came back, we were doing the dual-drummer thing for a while, so I knew I wasn't leaving them in a bad way. As fate turns out, I'm back with them again!

Did playing with Gary Rossington as a drummer help you relate to him as a guitar player?

Actually, what helps me more is that I've been around the stuff my whole life. I heard it on the radio all the time and listened to it non-stop with my old band, plus just knowing the guys—it didn't really phase me. The music is definitely influential. I have my certain songs that I like and they really inspire me to play and perform. It's a blast to be on stage with those guys.

There has been a lot of attention on the band lately. Do you think the media focus is due to the band's 30th anniversary, Vicious Cycle or the song "Red, White and Blue"?

I think "Red, White and Blue" really talks to Skynyrd fans, and I think it speaks to each individual in this country. But I also think when a band like Lynyrd Skynyrd releases a new CD, it's gonna get attention, anyway, because people are curious to see what we're going to do. This is a very patriotic time in our country, since 9/11, and it affected us really hard. We had five more shows to do when that happened, and we stayed out. People expected us to cancel and go home, but we put up collection stations around the arenas and amphitheaters so people could donate money to the Red Cross and other organizations. I've never seen so many American flags in my whole life.

To me, that song encapsulates what Lynyrd Skynyrd has always been about.

Yeah, and I think there are a few other classics on there, too. There's a song called "Pick 'Em Up" where Johnny and I did a duet, almost like a "You Got That Right" kinda thing, and we did a remake of "Gimme Back My Bullets" with Kid Rock.

How did that come about? I know he's a huge fan.

He came out to see us in Detroit when we toured with ZZ Top, and we kinda got to know him. We stayed in touch, and someone on the bus said it'd be a great idea to do a duet on one of the old Skynyrd tunes, so I took the initiative and called him up. He said "absolutely." So Rob Robertson (producer) and I got in the studio and we put it together. It was a lot of fun to do. I think Kid Rock sent us 56 tracks of vocals to pick from! I think it came out really well. I'm sure some fans will say, "Oh, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kid Rock, big deal." But I think there's gonna be a whole different audience that's gonna go, "Whoa, what is this?" I think it opens up some broader doors for the band, especially if we end up doing a video for it.

Will it be on any of the upcoming tribute albums?

It's on the record with Metallica, 3 Doors Down …

3 Doors Down are covering "That Smell" live, too.

We got to hear that not too long ago, and we were honored that someone would take the time to pay tribute. I think it's the most prestigious thing for someone to come up to you and say that you've been an influence on their playing. We've been in this game a long time and had great success, and the only way for this band to continue is to write new material and make new records. Like Aerosmith—whether you love 'em or hate 'em, you've got to respect them. They came back in a grand way and I commend them.

I agree, I don't think you can write them off. They came back even bigger than before.

I was proud for them. It's wonderful.

What's the feeling in the band right now? Obviously the group dynamic has changed since the '70s, but is the same spirit there?

Oh, I think so, and we've also grown. You have to grow and change and evaluate things differently, but spirit-wise, onstage and playing, absolutely—the feeling is there as much as it ever was. We have a blast. We feel very blessed and fortunate to play for an audience and look at their faces and see them having a good time.

And to still play for audiences of 10,000 or 15,000 people consistently….

Oh yeah. You just look out and think, "Whoa."

How long have you used Peavey amplifiers?

The original band got started with Peavey, back when they first "made it." That's what made the Lynyrd Skynyrd sound. Gary, Hughie (Thomasson) and I are all playing Peavey now. (Ean Evans uses the Firebass™ head and TVX™ cabinets.—Editor)

I'm a guy who loves warmth out of an amplifier. Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and I really talk the same language when it comes to that. Not brittle, but a low end gut crunch where you feel the speakers move air. I'm not into too many mids or highs, but enough presence to distinguish the notes.

I love the Triple XXX® when it's overdriven just enough. I basically run straight from my guitar to the amp. I'm a purist. I got to experiment with the Triple XXX in the studio and I'm getting into it even more now.

How do you define your style?

I'm a heavy, bluesy rock player. I grew up loving Hendrix, Clapton and Beck, and Billy G. when he came around. Today, I admire guys like Eric Johnson. When I hear a blues influence, I tend to go straight for it.

How do you fit in with Gary and Hughie?

Each of us has an individual style. Gary's got what he's always had, and Hughie does more of the clean, picking stuff, although he can rock. I'm more of the darker, heavy rock tone. There are three distinctive guitars and when you put 'em all together it's like one huge wall of sound. That's our thing.

On the older songs, how do you and Hughie divide the parts?

We don't even have to worry about it. I play what Allen played, and he plays what Ed King or Steve Gaines played. When we go into the studio, we figure out who best fits each song and that's who plays the lead, or we'll maybe do dual leads. There's no overblown ego about it. All we're interested in doing is what's best for the song and the band.