Country Stars Fete Lynyrd Skynyrd

You can now listen to the previews of all tracks on our “Sweet Home Sample” post.

It’s not difficult to see Southern rock’s intertwining with country music over the last few decades. While Charlie Daniels and Hank Williams Jr. have long had their feet planted in both genres, Travis Tritt and Montgomery Gentry—and more recently Jason Aldean and Justin Moore—have not been shy about professing the influence Southern rock has had on their music.

Thus it makes perfect sense that country stars would come together to record Sweet Home Alabama: The Country Music Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, which is out July 20 and available exclusively at Walmart.

Randy Houser, one of eight acts involved in the new collection, agrees that country artists recording a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute makes perfect sense. “You can’t be part of this crop of country singers and not have some Lynyrd Skynyrd on you. I’ve got Lynyrd Skynyrd all over me,” he says with a laugh.

Eric Church, another participant in the project, agrees. “Like everybody on Earth, I was exposed to, and grew up, a Skynyrd fan,” he says. “I’ve even done some shows with Skynyrd. It’s just a band that I have a lot of respect for, like a lot of people in my generation.”

In addition to Eric and Randy, Shooter Jennings, the Eli Young Band and Uncle Kracker, as well as newcomers Ashley Ray and Randy Montana, are also part of the set.

Randy Houser was happy to record to the advice-filled “Simple Man,” from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s debut album. “I did that song for years in the clubs in Mississippi,” Randy says. “I was lucky enough to get one of the songs that I wanted to do.”

Jamey Johnson’s take on the prison song “Four Walls of Raiford” is another outstanding track, which features Jamey accompanied only by Cowboy Eddie Long on dobro.

Check out both songs exclusively below and come back Monday (July 19) to hear previews of all eight tracks on the album.

For more about Sweet Home Alabama: The Country Music Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, check out the July 26 issue of Country Weekly, on stands July 19.

The album is available exclusively at Walmart.

Exclusive First Listen to Samples of Sweet Home Alabama: The Country Music Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd

1. The Ballad of Curtis Loew performed by Eric Church
2. Simple Man performed by Randy Houser
   
   Listen Now! 
3. All I Can Do Is Write About It performed by Uncle Kracker
4. Call Me the Breeze performed by Shooter Jennings
5. Four Walls of Raiford performed by Jamey Johnson
   
   Listen Now! 
6. Tuesday’s Gone performed by Randy Montana
7. Gimme Three Steps performed by The Eli Young Band
8. Sweet Home Alabama performed by Ashley Ray