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Watch A Young Billy Strings Put A Bluegrass Twist On Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” Back In 2012
“Simple Man” like you’ve never heard it before.
For all intents and purposes, Billy Strings has become the “it” star in bluegrass as of late. After years of well-deserved hype among fans of the genre, the past five years, in particular, have been huge for the Michigan native. Beyond playing with the likes of famous jam bands such as Dead & Company, Phish and Widespread Panic, Strings has also scored major collaborations with Luke Combs, Dierks Bentley, Willie Nelson, Post Malone and Zach Top.
Recently, the “Dust in a Baggie” singer broke out in a big way commercially in 2024 with the release of Highway Prayers. Not only did the record top seven different Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums, Bluegrass Albums and Most Added at Triple A Radio (“Gild the Lily”), it also became the first bluegrass album in 22 years to reach #1 on the all-genre Top Album Sales chart since the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack topped the chart for two weeks back in 2002. Of course, Strings had experienced success commercially beforehand with the release of Home in 2019, which not only scored him a #1 hit on the aforementioned Bluegrass Albums chart but also his first-ever Grammy win for Best Bluegrass Album in 2021.
With so much love rightfully being shown to Strings’ newer work recently, I thought it would be the perfect time to throw it all the way back to 2012 with his cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ever-iconic ballad, “Simple Man,” at a guitar competition at the now-closed Southside Hideout in Buckley, Michigan.
It’s safe to say that “Simple Man” hardly needs an introduction. Written by Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington, it appears as the fourth track on their iconic 1973 debut album, Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd, on the stacked tracklist that also contains Skynyrd staples such as “Tuesday’s Gone,” “Gimme Three Steps,” and the legendary “Free Bird.” Often considered one of the quintessential ballads in southern rock, its legacy simply cannot be understated.
As for Strings’ performance itself, it’s nothing short of incredible. Putting an acoustic spin on the entire song, the “Seven Weeks In County” singer comes off firing right out of the gate and lays down Rossington’s iconic opening guitar riff flawlessly, incorporating some slick bluegrass riffs in between. The rest of the cover is just as intoxicating to listen to as Strings speeds up the tempo to fit with the high-energy nature of many bluegrass tunes, all while he hits some truly impressive notes from Van Zant’s original on the chorus.
With a performance like that at only 20 years old, it’s pretty easy to understand why Strings has now reached the status he’s currently at. Incredible as always, this is a must-watch if you’re a fan of both Strings and Skynyrd.
Watch Strings’ performance here:
While you’re here, you might as well tune into Skynyrd’s original for ‘ol time’s sake, too:
Billy Strings Tour Dates
October 24-25 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater
October 31 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
November 1 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
November 7-8 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
November 11 – Rochester, NY – Blue Cross Arena
November 12 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
November 14-15 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
December 5-6 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
December 10 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
December 12 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
December 13 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
December 14 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody TheaterThe post Watch A Young Billy Strings Put A Bluegrass Twist On Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” Back In 2012 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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