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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The documentary behind the headline is Lynyrd Skynyrd: If I Leave Here Tomorrow, directed by Stephen Kijak and announced by Showtime in 2018. It traces the band’s history through interviews and archival material, including coverage of the fatal 1977 plane crash. The available descriptions do not establish that it shows the moment of impact.
What is the Lynyrd Skynyrd documentary?
Lynyrd Skynyrd: If I Leave Here Tomorrow is a 2018 documentary directed by Stephen Kijak. Showtime announced it on July 18, 2018, with a premiere planned for August 18 that year. The film looks at the band’s history, mythology and legacy, and presents a portrait of frontman Ronnie Van Zant. Showtime’s announcement describes its use of rare interviews and previously unseen archival footage.
Does it show the plane crash?
Contemporary coverage reports that the film includes footage from and discussion of the fatal plane accident. That description supports saying the documentary addresses the crash, but it does not confirm that viewers see the aircraft’s impact. The specific images in the film are not established by the available descriptions. The contemporary report and Showtime’s release do not provide a shot-by-shot account.
Who tells the story, and what does the film cover?
Showtime says Gary Rossington is the film’s primary narrator. His recollections are joined by accounts from drummer Artimus Pyle and “Sweet Home Alabama” co-writer Ed King. The documentary also includes interviews with drummer Bob Burns, JoJo Billingsley and producer Al Kooper, as well as recently discovered radio interviews with founding members Leon Wilkeson, Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zant.
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The film’s scope extends beyond the accident: it follows the band’s formation, rise and lasting place in Southern rock. Showtime’s July 18, 2018 announcement called it a story told through the band’s words, stories and memories, and described its production as a Passion Pictures project with CMT Productions.
How the crash fits into the band’s history
According to the band’s official history, Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns and Gary Rossington met as teenagers in Jacksonville in 1964, playing on rival baseball teams. They formed a band after an informal jam; Allen Collins and Larry Junstrom later joined. After earlier names, the group became Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1969. Its first album, Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd, followed in 1973.
On October 20, 1977—three days after the release of Street Survivors—the band’s chartered plane ran out of fuel en route from a show in Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It crashed in woods outside Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, road manager Dean Kilpatrick and both pilots died. The other band members survived with serious injuries.
The group disbanded after the crash and reunited for a tribute tour in 1987, with Johnny Van Zant taking over lead vocals, according to the band’s history. That longer arc helps distinguish a film about the band’s story from one focused specifically on the accident.
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Two other Lynyrd Skynyrd documentaries are different films
Several documentaries cover the band or the 1977 crash. These two are not the Showtime film:
| Film | What it covers | Documented format or detail |
|---|---|---|
| Lynyrd Skynyrd: Gone With the Wind (2015) | A separate documentary tracing the band from its 1964 formation through the 1977 crash. | Directed by Tom O’Dell; Tubi lists a runtime of 2 hours 51 minutes. Tubi’s listing identifies the film. |
| I’ll Never Forget You: The Last 72 Hours of Lynyrd Skynyrd | A separate film centered on the crash’s final days and accounts from people connected to the band and response. | MVD’s December 2019 distributor catalog describes firsthand accounts, archival behind-the-scenes film, reenactments, a computer-generated crash simulation and responder interviews; it lists a DVD release. MVD’s catalog entry covers this title. |
These distinctions matter when choosing a film: If I Leave Here Tomorrow tells a broader band-history story, while I’ll Never Forget You concentrates on the last 72 hours and crash-related testimony. The sources above establish the latter’s DVD release, not its current availability in every region. Showtime’s 2018 announcement likewise records the original launch, not present-day streaming or purchase options.
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