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| Freebird... The Movie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jeff G. Waxman |
| Written by | Sanford Santacroce |
| Produced by | Jeff G. Waxman |
| Starring | Allen Collins Steve Gaines Billy Powell Artimus Pyle Gary Rossington Ronnie Van Zant Leon Wilkeson JoJo Billingsley Cassie Gaines Leslie Hawkins |
| Music by | Lynyrd Skynyrd |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Freebird... The Movie is an in-depth look atSouthern rock band,Lynyrd Skynyrd. Released on video on August 30, 1996, it is partdocumentary and part concert footage.Charlie Daniels was involved as "creative consultant".[citation needed]
The film incorporates live concert and personal footage filmed in 1976 and 1977. It took nearly ten years to assemble and produce.[1]
The band lineup featuresRonnie Van Zant,Steve Gaines,Allen Collins,Gary Rossington,Billy Powell,Leon Wilkeson, andArtimus Pyle.[1]
Most of the footage is from the band's appearance at theKnebworth festival, on August 21, 1976, while the last performance is from a show inOakland, California.
In 1996, they offered a performance to promote the documentary.Bob Burns (who had left Lynyrd Skynyrd in December 1974 due to drumming fatigue) reunited with the band for the performance.
The film debuted at theFox Theatre inAtlanta,Georgia.[1] The band performed during the last week of 1995 in Atlanta to coincide with the documentary's premiere. On Thursday, Dec 28, they performed for the event Freebird... The Jam. Then the band performed over the weekend for the event Lynyrd Skynyrd: Freebird... The Celebration.[2]
On July 27, 1998 the Lynyrd Skynyrd website announced that producer and distributor Cabin Fever Entertainment had gone out of business and a new company would be re-packaging the documentary. The Freebird Foundation would distribute the videos through the website.[3]
Asoundtrack of the film was released byMCA Records.[4]It was released on August 13, 1996.[3] It included most of the recordings of the performances from the film. However, the soundtrack omits "Gimme Back My Bullets" and "Cry For The Bad Man," both of which were included in the film and recorded on 3/7/76 atBill Graham'sWinterland Ballroom inSan Francisco, CA
Bob Cannon ofEntertainment Weekly gave the film a B+, writing that the film was "Proof that there was more to Southern rock than boogie and beer," and praised Lynyrd Skynyrd as a "ferocious live act."[5]
