- Gary Rossington was a successful musician who was a founding member of the Southern band Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- He was married to his wife, Dale Krantz Rossington, for over 40 years.
- Sadly, the recording artist died on Mar. 5, 2023, as confirmed by the band via a Facebook post.
The late “Misery Loves Company” hitmaker Gary Rossington was a beloved musician known for being a co-founding member of the successful band, Lynyrd Skynyrd. A few of the other members included the late Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Johnny Van Zant, 63, and many others. Although the guitarist was known for his music, he also spent much of his time with his wife and collaborator Dale Krantz Rossington, 70. Learn about their marriage, their band, and more following his passing, below.
Gary Rossington’s Wife, Dale Krantz Rossington
Gary and Dale got married over 41 years ago in 1982, nearly 20 years after his band was formed in Florida. During a 2016 interview with Rock Cellar Magazine the recently widowed spouse gushed about the time she met her husband. “Oh my goodness, it almost takes my breath away when I think about the first time I saw him. It was the kind of magic that was always on stage with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Every single one of those men were so electric, it was just so amazing to watch and to listen to,” Dale said at the time.
Later in the interview, the songstress made sure to clarify that Gary was the one who caught her eye. “But of course he was the most beautiful of them all and that didn’t hurt. (laughs) When I first saw Skynyrd, which was the only time I got to see them perform, it was for five shows in the spring of ’77. I was singing for .38 Special and they were opening for them,” she continued. “I was singing with them at the time and oh my God, when I saw them play live it was just mesmerizing.”
In that same interview, the late 71-year-old noted what drew him to his leading lady and how they came together in a musical way. “Just that she’s a great, great singer. Back when we stared the Rossington-Collins Band we didn’t want to get another male singer right off the bat and start playing because it would just be like we went on without Ronnie [Van Zant] and we didn’t want to do that at the time,” he explained. “We thought if we got a female lead singer that would change the look and sound of the band so that’s what we did. She was just a great singer and I loved her looks (laughs) and we got along.”
Their Band, The Rossington Band
Dale and her husband’s love for music continued to bond them for decades, as the two celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary prior to his death in Mar. 2023. Gary and Allen founded the Rossington Collins Band in 1979, following the 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that killed three of the members, but they had a falling out just three years later. Since Dale was their female lead vocalist, it came as no surprise when she and her husband founded their own band, The Rossington Band, amid the former band’s split. Some of their albums include Love Your Man (1988), Returned to the Scene of the Crime (1986), and Take It On Faith (2016).
“We were both married earlier to different people and both of our marriages were dissolving so we decided to get together and fell in love through the music, it happened really quick,” Gary said to the previously mentioned outlet. Although he revealed they were both previously married, it is not publicly known who their ex-spouses are. The duo released their final album in 2016, with one of their hit songs being “Take It On Faith”, in which they both starred in the music video for. The couple renewed their wedding vows in 2012 in front of family and friends (watch below).
Do They Have Kids?
Not much is publicly known about Gary’s kids, however, it has been reported that he has one daughter, Mary Elizabeth Rossington. Despite this, it is not known who Mary’s mother is or if she had a close relationship with her father. It has also not been reported if Dale has any kids of her own.
Gary’s Death
Sadly, the official Lynyrd Skynyrd Facebook page confirmed the news of Gary’s death on Mar. 5, 2023. “It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today,” the statement began. “Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does. Please keep Dale, Mary, Annie and the entire Rossington family in your prayers and respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time.”