Lynyrd Skynyrd singer-guitarist Rickey Medlocke will make a surprise appearance on tomorrow's (Wednesday, May 18th) episode of American Idol. Skynyrd had a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, last week, on the same day that American Idol finalist Bo Bice was doing some homecoming segments in the area for the TV show.

 
Bo Bice

Bice, who's a life-long fan of Medlocke's old band Blackfoot, was surprised to find Medlocke waiting to talk to him at his hotel. Medlocke said, "It was especially funny, because it all just sort of fell into place -- it wasn't really all planned. Some of the show's people saw our tour buses and asked our tour manager, Rick Howe, what band it was. When he told them Lynyrd Skynyrd, they hatched the whole scheme, so it all comes off like it really was -- totally unscripted."

Rickey Medlocke

Medlocke and Skynyrd bassist Ean Evans then added to the fun when they joined Bice for versions of "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird" on Friday (May 13th) in Helena, Alabama. Medlocke said, "I haven't played with Blackfoot for 10 years now, so having this young kid remember and admire the band like that meant a lot to me. I was happy to do this."

Lynyrd Skynyrd's next show is Thursday (May 19th), on a double bill with the Allman Brothers Band in Tupelo, Mississippi.