Rockers Donnie & Johnny Van Zant Reflect on Redemption, Legacy and Loving Jesus

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Two rock legends are teaming up to sing the name of Jesus, driven by a shared mission to see souls saved. The brother duo of Donnie Van Zant and Johnny Van Zant form the group Van Zant but are better known to rock fans for their roles in .38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd, respectively. Donnie Van Zant co-founded .38 Special, which is known for such hits as Hold On Loosely and Caught Up In You, while Johnny Van Zant has been the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd since 1987, fronting the band behind classics like Sweet Home Alabama and Simple Man.

In November they released their first Christian album Always Look Up, which debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian/Gospel Albums chart and includes such faith-focused tracks as Awesome God, Jesus Christ, Praying and Leaning on the Cross. 

The brothers say they had long wanted to make a Christian album and found inspiration during Covid, feeling led by God. 

"We just said, 'You know what? God's putting it on us to do this,'" Johnny said.

Every song on the album is an original. The song Jesus Christ, for example, was inspired by a painting of the crucifixion on the wall in their studio. 

Read the full interview here! 

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