![]() It was during those massive shows that they first exposed “Free Bird,” the song that became their anthem, to large audiences. ![]() Lynyrd Skynyrd got their big break when Kooper arranged for them to tour with The Who as their opening act. This is a hit record.” The instant classic was written as a riposte to the Neil Young songs “Southern Man” and “Alabama” and gleefully calls out Young by name. Kooper relates how when he first heard them play “Sweet Home Alabama” he told Ronnie, “I’ll see you in the studio tomorrow. They were turned down by nine major record companies until musician/songwriter Al Kooper signed them to his burgeoning record label. The band, who rehearsed in a shack on the edge of the swamp (the easier for Ronnie to engage in one of his favorite pastimes, fishing), struggled at first. They originally called themselves One Percent but changed it early on after one of the members heard the popular Allen Sherman song “Hello Muddah Hello Fadduh” in which he sings about a camper named “Leonard Skinner.” That also happened to be name of a local high school teacher, so with a little spelling variation the new moniker was adopted. My favorite piece of trivia revealed in the film involves the origin of the band’s name. Much of the film is narrated by Gary Rossington, the last surviving member of the original lineup, and includes copious amounts of archival photos and footage and interviews from both past and present. The band reformed 10 years later with Johnny Van Zant taking his brother’s place as lead vocalist. The film relates, in mostly chronological order, the story of the band which began in Jacksonville, Florida, and which nearly came to an end with the 1977 plane crash in a Mississippi forest that killed six people including founding member Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines. Director Kijak has plenty of experience in the format, having previously made documentaries about such musicians as Scott Walker, The Rolling Stones, Backstreet Boys, X Japan and bassist Jaco Pastorius. ![]() It’s not surprising that the film expertly tells its story in a way that will prove engaging for fans and non-fans alike. ![]() Perfectly timed to coincide with the band’s upcoming farewell tour, If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd received its world premiere at SXSW and will air later this year on CMT. Even music lovers who wouldn’t be caught dead yelling “Free Bird!” at a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert will find much to appreciate in Stephen Kijak’s documentary about the legendary Southern rock band. ![]()
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