Credit: Michael Zagaris Last year, Lynyrd Skynyrd members legally blocked the making of a film that ex-drummer Artimus Pyle was helping develop about the band and the 1977 plane crash that claimed the life of singer Ronnie Van Zant and others. Now, however, a Lynyrd Skynyrd documentary sanctioned by the band called If I Leave Here Tomorrow has just premiered at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.
Founding Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington, who is the main narrator of the movie, tells Yahoo Entertainment that the project offers a more positive look at his band than previous documentaries.
“All the other documentaries were negative, and they really didn’t show how when we started, we were brothers,” maintains Rossington. “We’d die for each other. We grew up together, you know? We were so happy, and it was a family. [Other films] made it sound like we were all mad at each other.”
The 66-year-old rocker also says that watching the flick was very emotional for him and his family.
“I won’t be shy to say I cried a few times — you can’t not, if you were part of it,” Gary admits. “My daughters were all crying. They made me cry.”
Of course, the movie delves into the aforementioned plane crash, which also took the lives of guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister, backing singer Cassie Gaines. One scene revisits the site of the crash, although Rossington — who was seriously injured in the incident — had no interest in going back.
“No. I’ve already been there,” says Gary.”
In spite of all the tragedy that has befallen Skynyrd, Rossington says he doesn’t believe the band was cursed.
“We let life pick us up and shake us and squeeze us, and we tasted it,” he maintains, “so I’m happy.”
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