Jimmie Van Zant

Jimmie Van Zant (born Jimmie Kelsay; 1956 – April 7, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, the son of E. C. Van Zant who was the uncle of musicians Donnie, Johnny, and Ronnie Van Zant. He took the surname Kelsay from his mother, later adopting his father's name, Van Zant. He began playing guitar and piano as a child, mentored by his cousin Ronnie Van Zant, but largely gave up music until the 1977 plane crash in which Ronnie, the founder and lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, was killed. Jimmie Van Zant then took up a career playing Southern rock music, and performed at festivals and Harley Davidson shows before recording the albums The Jimmie Van Zant Band (1996) and Southern Comfort (2000). He toured widely with his band, performing over 200 shows each year, and released a third album, Feels Like Freedom, in 2012.

He died in a hospice in Florida in 2016, aged 59, after several years of treatment for liver cancer.

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