Country rapper Jelly Roll had a night to remember last Friday the 13th, when he shared the stage with two members of his favorite band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, in their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
Jelly Roll, who has been a fan of Skynyrd since he was a kid, invited Rickey Medlocke and Johnny Van Zant to join him for a rendition of Skynyrd's classic "Simple Man", which he has covered many times in his shows.
Before the song, Jelly Roll praised Skynyrd as the greatest rock band of all time, saying: "The greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the history of music came from Jacksonville, Florida. I don’t think they’re the greatest Southern rock band -- I think they are the greatest rock band in the history of music. That’s what I believe as a man that grew up in the South."
The crowd cheered as Medlocke and Van Zant sang along with Jelly Roll, who delivered an emotional performance of the song. But the biggest surprise came after the song, when Medlocke and Van Zant presented Jelly Roll with a priceless gift: one of Gary Rossington's guitars.
Rossington, who is the only surviving original member of Skynyrd and has been recovering from heart surgery, wanted Jelly Roll to have his guitar as a token of appreciation for his love and respect for the band. Van Zant said: "I wonder how many Lynyrd Skynyrd songs was written on that guitar right there."
Jelly Roll was speechless and teary-eyed as he hugged Medlocke and Van Zant and thanked them for the honor. He then held up the guitar and showed it to the audience, who gave him a standing ovation.
Jelly Roll later posted a video on his social media, showing his gratitude and disbelief for what had happened. He said: "I can't even put into words what this means to me. This is the greatest moment of my life. Thank you Lynyrd Skynyrd for making my dreams come true."
[Source: Classic Hits Today]