Van Zant’s ‘Always Look Up’ Was a Long Time Coming

Johnny and Donnie Van Zant’s debut faith-based album “Always Look Up” is their most personal release so far.

Jimmy Van Zant (L) and Donnie Van Zant sing at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, 2006. Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Southern rockers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant of the country duo Van Zant have teamed up once again. The Florida natives recently released “Always Look Up,” their first spiritually themed record debuting after a two-decade hiatus. After their smash hit “Get Right With the Man” in 2005,  the duo took a break from touring and recording, releasing only one previously recorded live album in 2016.

Donnie calls the release of “Always Look Up” a “bucket list” moment. Though the record debuted in the fall of 2024, the duo has spent a lifetime taking its themes of spirituality, redemption, and hope seriously. Their personal connection to each song shines through the entire track listing, making their latest album release their most intimate yet.

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The Van Zant duo officially formed in the 1980s as a Southern rock group, but the brothers’ resumé is bigger than their duo. Donnie helped form the popular rock band .38 Special in 1974. Johnny has long provided vocals for Southern rock staple Lynyrd Skynyrd after the untimely passing of his brother Ronnie, the band’s lead singer. Ronnie lost his life in a plane crash in October 1977 that took the lives of other band members as well.