Last night, country music rocked. The 2023 CMT Music Awards built up to an all-star tribute to Gary Rossington, the late guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the ’70s Southern rock band so influential on country music for decades. Fronted by Bad Company/Free legend Paul Rodgers on vocals, the CMT combo boasted a trio of guitar heroes: Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers/Gov’t Mule, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Guns N’ Roses icon Slash. Three-guitar orchestration is crucial to Skynyrd’s classic sound.

The CMTs’ Lynyrd Skynyrd medley opened with “Simple Man.” The bluesy 1973 hit was one of many of the band’s essentials cowritten by Rossington, who died recently at age 71. He was Skynyrd’s last surviving original member.

At the awards show, the ageless Rodgers was joined on lead vocals by country singer Cody Johnson, known for recent hits like “‘Til You Can’t.” Rodgers and Johnson did an admirable job channeling late Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant’s charisma. Country stars LeAnn Rimes and Wynonna Judd supplied swelling backing vocals, a la The Honkettes, Skynyrd’s sassy female singers.

Things heated up as the medley segued into “Sweet Home Alabama.” The quintessential Southern anthem gave Haynes, Gibbons and Slash room to stretch out on solos. Slash’s sexy, bendy lines, after Haynes’ solo and before Gibbons’, stood out.

During the Skynyrd tribute, Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell, an Alabama native and former Allman Brothers member, nailed the late Billy Powell’s rollicking piano. Watch a video clip of the CMTs Skynyrd medley below.

Rodgers is a longtime friend and colleague of the Skynyrd camp. In the band Free, known for 1970 stomp “All Right Now,” Rodgers was a vocals influence on Van Zant, whose younger brother Johnny Van Zant has fronted Lynyrd Skynyrd since the group rebooted in 1987. Before that reboot, the band had been paused for 10 years following the tragic 1977 airplane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines and others.

At the CMTs, Johnny Van Zant, guitarist Rickey Medlocke and other members of Skynyrd’s latter-day lineup were on hand to watch the all-star medley. In recent years, Lynyrd Skynyrd touring lineup’s included guitarist and Alabama native Damon Johnson, of ‘90s rockers Brother Cane.

There were several other notable rock performances at the 2023 CMTs. The Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson and guitarist Rich Robinson did their 1990 heroin-ballad “She Talks to Angels” with Hootie-turned-country-star Darius Rucker upon a smoke filled stage. Twenty-first-century blues-rocker Gary Clark Jr. honored guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan with a cover of SRV’s ’89 hit “”The House Is Rockin’.” Judd dueted with Ashley McBryde on a version of Foreigner’s gospel-tinged “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Gwen Stefani cooed No Doubt’s pop-rock classic “Just a Girl” with Carly Pearce. Alanis Morrissette and her ’90s-defining smash “You Oughta Know” were given some twang and Southern hospitality by Morgan Wade, Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson and Madeline Edwards.

The ’23 CMTs took place at Austin, Texas arena the Moody Center and aired on CBS/Paramount+. Hosted by country singers Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown, the show also boasted performances from country stars like Shania Twain, Blake Shelton and Jelly Roll.

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