Who's that guy front and center with founding guitarist Gary Rossington at the Lynyrd Skynyrd show?

Why, it's Death!

Whoops, not so fast. That's just lead guitarist Ricky Medlocke, looking as old as I feel.

But Death is never far away in the classic rock biz these days. Hell, Rossington is the last surviving member of THE totemic Southern Rock band, and maybe that explains why the band, playing the Mohegan Sun Arena Friday, is out on its final tour.

If you think about it, original vocalist Ronnie Van Zandt's been dead 42 years, killed in the same crash as guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister, backup singer Cassie Gaines. Co-founders Leon Wilkerson and Bob Burns have been dead 18 and 4 years, respectively. Signature multi-instrumentalist Ed King died last year, and signature pianist Billy Powell stopped breathing 10 years ago.

That's a whole Body Farm of folks!

I'll tell you what, though: Rossington has surrounded himself with excellent and pedigreed players who are emotionally invested in the Skynyrd legacy — which is so substantial that every song you hear at the Sun during a two-hour show is already indelibly tattooed in your brain. And I don't wanna be a spoiler, but I'm betting "Free Bird" is the encore. Rock on, Gary!

Lynyrd Skynyrd, 7 p.m. Friday, Mohegan Sun Arena; $39.50-$350; 1-800-745-3000.