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Legendary Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd is commemorating 50 years since its debut album with a tour.

The lineup features Johnny Van Zant, brother of original Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman and founder, Ronnie Van Zant, who tragically passed in a plane crash along with other members of the band. Ronnie鈥檚 brother, Johnny Van Zant, reformed the band a decade after the tragedy.

鈥淢y brother Ronnie passed away in 鈥�77 in a plane crash,鈥� Johnny Van Zant said. 鈥淗e was here a very short time and God gave him the gift to really touch people. And I think, you know what? This year, really it is 51 years since the first record came out, but I think these songs will be around another 50 years, and then three more generations will be on top of this. I always say there鈥檚 probably some kid right now skipping school, trying to learn the beginning of 鈥楽weet Home Alabama,鈥� on the guitar.鈥�

With billions of streams, tens of millions of records sold, and the recent introduction of Hell House whiskey, the band keeps Lynyrd Skynyrd鈥檚 legacy alive for generations to come.

Carrying the Lynyrd Skynyrd torch sometimes has been difficult for Van Zant but has been a privilege to carry on his brother鈥檚 legacy.

鈥淲henever I first started with the band, what people don鈥檛 realize is that I was a fan of this music myself, and I grew up around it,鈥� Van Zant said. 鈥淚 grew up before they had record deals, and seeing them play it and thinking, 鈥榃ell, OK, maybe they鈥檒l make it, maybe they won鈥檛,鈥� and then to be a part of it was something that I never dreamt that I would have to do or want to do, but it鈥檚 been an honor and a pleasure to be able to carry this legacy on.鈥�

Stepping into his brother鈥檚 shoes was something Van Zant never prepared for.

鈥淏ack in 鈥�86 I took a meeting with the surviving members of the plane crash,鈥� he explained. 鈥淩onnie, my brother, was not only the leader of the band, but he was like a father figure to those guys. He was the oldest one and kept everyone in line ... I couldn鈥檛 turn away from that. I had to do it. And, I鈥檓 so glad that I made that choice. I had a record deal with Atlantic and I put it on the back burner to go out and start the tribute tour. We called it the tribute tour in 鈥�87 and well, at the end of that, it was almost like a plane crash had happened, because we all walked away from each other and said, 鈥極kay, well, that was great.鈥� And then we said, 鈥榊ou know what? We love each other. We鈥檙e family. Let鈥檚 get together and write some songs.鈥� And we put out our first record in 1991.鈥�

Van Zant said although surviving members of the plane crash have since passed, he does not consider the current lineup a tribute band.

鈥淵es, we pay tribute to this music every night, but this is blood to me,鈥� he explained. 鈥淩onnie was my brother, so it鈥檚 the real deal. Again, I thank God for the tribute bands out there, because I love each and every one of them, because they love the music, but, we鈥檙e carrying the song because it鈥檚 family, it鈥檚 blood, and it鈥檚 a part of us.鈥�

Audiences will be transcended to Lynyrd Skynyrd鈥檚 prime with a performance that celebrates the original lineup.

鈥淲e stick straightly to Lynyrd Skynyrd,鈥� Van Zant said of the set list. 鈥淲e play all those great songs that were written and a few more. The only song that we鈥檝e ever really done on stage as Skynyrd that wasn鈥檛 Skynyrd was the J.J. Cale song, 鈥楥all Me The Breeze鈥� that a lot of the fans love and want to hear. Ronnie loved J.J. Cale and we still do it to this day.鈥�