Jimmie Van Zant (December 22, 1957 – April 7, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
Jimmie was the cousin of musicians Donnie, Johnny, and Ronnie Van Zant (E.C.
He began playing guitar and piano as a child, mentored by his cousin Ronnie Van Zant, but largely gave up music until the 1977 plane crash in which Ronnie, the founder and lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, was killed.
[1] Jimmie Van Zant then took up a career playing Southern rock music, and performed at festivals and Harley Davidson shows before recording the albums The Jimmie Van Zant Band (1996) and Southern Comfort (2000).
[2][3] He toured widely with his band, performing over 200 shows each year,[1] and released a third album, Feels Like Freedom, in 2012.