Documentary Filmmaker Jonathan Braucher’s I'll Never Forget You: The Last 72 Hours Of Lynyrd Skynyrd On DVD From MVD Entertainment Group On Dec. 13

MVD Entertainment Group looks to Friday, Dec. 13 as the DVD debut date for documentary filmmaker Jonathan Braucher’s I'll Never Forget You: The Last 72 Hours of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

On the evening of Oct. 20, 1977, the rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd wrapped up their concert date in Greenville, South Carolina and boarded their charter plane for Baton Rouge, Louisiana … they never arrived.  The plane inexplicably ran out of fuel and an emergency landing was attempted in a densely wooded area near Gillsburg, Mississippi, which proved to be fatal to band members Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, plus Steve’s sister, Cassie Gaines (a backup singer on tour with the band), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick and both the pilot and co-pilot, Walter McCreary and William Gray.

Working with security guard and lifelong friend of Ronnie Van Zant, Gene Odom — one of the crash survivors, who wrote the 1983 book, “Lynyrd Skynyrd I'll Never Forget You” and later co-author of the book (2011), “Ronnie Van Zant and Me ... Gene Odom” (with Scott Coner) — Braucher chronicles the last 72 hours leading up to the tragic moment.

Other survivors of the flight, including lead singer Leslie Hawkins and stage manager Craig Reed (roadie, drum and guitar technician), give their firsthand accounts of those fateful hours as well.

Also featured in Braucher’s film are behind-the-scenes footage with band during this period, plus reenactments of the key moments leading up to the crash, including a simulation of the plane crash drawn from the actual NTSB report and interviews with four of the first responders on the scene.

Bonus features include the music video titled “Cold Dark Mississippi Night” by Tennessee Iron (inspired by a poem written by Gene Odom, footage from the 40^th Anniversary Event that took place in Jacksonville, Florida and the featurette titled “Gene’s Fishing Advice.”