Paul Rodgers says goodbye to Gary Rossington; Lynyrd Skynyrd music sees bump following guitarist’s death

Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s Gary Rossington passed away earlier this month, as previously reported, and now it appears he’s been laid to rest.

Rocker Paul Rodgers seemed to reveal the news when he shared a picture of himself with his Free/Bad Company bandmate Simon Kirke on social media, writing, “Pilgrimage complete. Saying goodbye to Gary Rossington, a friend of 50 years!”

Meanwhile, Rossington’s death has sparked renewed interest in the band’s music. Billboard reports the band’s catalog has seen a 16% bump in streams since he passed away March 5 at the age of 71. They also moved 6,000 downloads in the week following his death, an increase of 103%.

Specific songs seeing boosts include the classic “Sweet Home Alabama,” which saw a 7% jump, up to 4.5 million streams from 4.2 million, as well as “Simple Man,” with a 5% increase, “Free Bird,” with an 11% bump, and “Gimme Three Steps,” up 8%.

The renewed interest helped put three of those songs back on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts, with “Sweet Home Alabama” at 17, “Simple Man” at 21 and “Free Bird” at 24.