Rickey Medlocke Talks Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Legacy, The Generations of Fans, and How Important It Is For Kids To Learn Music as Skynyrd Comes To Sioux Falls May 31

Rickey 'Rattlesnake' Medlocke has been a founding member of both Blackfoot and Lynyrd Skynyrd, has done some acting and even has family near Pierre, here in South Dakota. Medlocke and his Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmates will return to Sioux Falls for the first time in over a decade when they headline RibFest at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds May 31.

Medlocke is probably best known for forming and fronting Blackfoot ('Train Train', 'Highway Song') before disbanding the group in the mid 90's to take up acting. He had done a couple of guest appearances in TV and movies and enjoyed it, but got a call from his old bandmate Gary Rossington. Medlocke played drums with Skynyrd in 1970-71 and had recorded some tracks that would be released many years later as "Skynyrd's First...and Last" and The Muscle Shoals album. Rossington wanted Medlocke to come back to Lynyrd Skynyrd as lead guitarist and back up vocals, a position he's happily held since 1996.

Medlocke and Lynyrd Skynyrd will be the final national band (of 11!) to play at the 17th annual RibFest (and first at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds). Lynyrd Skynyrd will play Saturday May 31 with Foghat and Head East on 'Southern Hospitality Night'. Tickets are $20 at the Arena box office, all ticketmaster locations or online here. Or get a weekend pass for only $30 and come every day!

I got a chance to talk to Medlocke when he was in Sioux Falls in February for the RibFest announcement, presented by Dollar Loan Center. We talked about his career, the legacy of the legendary southern rock bands that he has fronted, learning music from his Delta Blues-playing grandfather and the importance of the arts in kids lives, in particular, the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy here in Sioux Falls which will receive proceeds from this year's RibFest.