"Merging the hard Southern rock style of Lynyrd Skynyrd with the softer sound of the similar .38 Special, the Southern rockers Van Zant carry the legacy of both bands with one powerful surname. Brothers Johnny and Ronnie Van Zant both spent decades as part of the Lynyrd Skynyrd puzzle while their brother Donnie invested in .38 Special, and what started out as a side project for Johnny and Donnie has ended up being one country rock duo to remember.The name Van Zant has been around since 1985, when Johnny Van Zant spearheaded a quartet with the same name. The Van Zant of the 1980s released one self-titled album and two hit singles (""I'm a Fighter"" and ""You've Got to Believe in Love"") before going out of commission when Johnny joined Lynyrd Skynyrd, but the moniker would later come full circle. Taking the reins of the Southern-fried rock ‘n' roll outfit Lynyrd Skynyrd when his brother (and band frontman) Ronnie died in a plane crash, Johnny Van Zant disassembled Van Zant to rock out ""Sweet Home Alabama"" style. Skynyrd's redneck-infused rock music propelled the band through the decades, and the addition of Johnny Van Zant in the late ‘""Free Bird"" on stage to millions of screaming fans, Donnie Van Zant was busy kickin' the dust with the band that crafted hits ""Hold on Loosely"" and ""Caught Up in You.""Eventually, the two remaining Van Zant brothers (Donnie and Johnny) recycled the band name Van Zant, teaming up in 1998 to create a more country-inspired sound than their previous bands had. Van Zant was originally intended to be a side project, but the wild success of the duo's first collaboration Brother to Brother led to a more permanent fixture, and Van Zant has since recorded hits like ""Help Somebody,"" still played on country radio stations around the nation."