Gene Odom Plane Crash Survivor and Security for Lynyrd Skynyrd Original Band

Gene Odom Ronnie VanZant's fishing buddy

Gene Odom Grew up on the west side of Jacksonville in the early fifties and sixties. It was there that he became friends with Lynyrd Skynyrd band founder Ronnie VanZant. They met as young boys and hung out on the west side of Jacksonville where they went to school.

Gene and Ronnie used to like to play baseball fish and ride bicycles together. It was with Gene Odom fishing in Ocala fl. where Ronnie caught his trophy bass. Gene was also childhood friends with all the original band members ever since they were all just little kids.

In the late sixties Gene was drafted into the army. It was while he was away Lynyrd Skynyrd honed their skills as a band and became famous. When Gene returned from his duty he started Iron working as a welder on local jobs. Ronnie used to visit Gene at his jobs and tell him "Gene you need to come on the road with me and be my security". Reluctantly he gave in and began touring with the band.

Ronnie VanZant hired Gene to look after the band and hopefully help with the drug abuse. It was during their tour in 1977 the Convair 240 passenger plane the band was on crashed in a swamp in Gilsburg Mississippi.

Gene suffered grave injuries. He lost his eye when a Phosphorous deicing flare ignited burning his eye out as he lay unconscious under the very engine that had issues leading to the over fuel usage.

Gene was thrown through a gaping hole that opened up in the fuselage upon impact causing him a major head injury a broken neck, broken back and burns over most of his upper body.

Today Gene travels the country telling his story selling books that he has written about his time with the Band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Gene Odom West Side Tour With Griff Martin

Gene Odom Takes Griff Martin On a west side tour of Jacksonville. Don't miss this video tour. It's awesome

Gene Odom

New documentary features last 72 hours of Lynyrd Skynyrd

One of the survivors says he wants to "bring understanding to fans" about the band's last days.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — In 1977, the Jacksonville-based rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd suffered a great tragedy when a plane crash took the life of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and others.

Now four decades, Gene Odom, one of the survivors, is releasing a documentary titled "I'll Never Forget You, the Last 72 hours of Lynyrd Skynyrd."

Steve Mullen, a fan, drove from Lynchburg, Virginia, to see it first hand.

"I just kind of find out what made these guys tick when they were young guys," Mullen said.

Odom took him to the Van Zant's home, to the former corner store they patronized, to Ronnie Van Zant's gravesite, Lee High School and many more locations.

"I feel like this has really added a lot to my understanding," he said.

Odom said his documentary, which is based on his 1983 book, will bring understanding to fans about those last 72 hours.

"The last words Ronnie Van Zant heard were from Gene Odom," he said. "And I'll tell you a secret: The last song he ever heard was Rambling Fever by Merle Haggard."

Concrete Lion pictures and MVD Entertainment worked with Odom to tell a story he said that has yet to be heard.

"It is a story about me and Ronnie," he said.

The premiere screening was Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. at Sun-Ray Cinema on Park Street in Riverside.

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Deleted Scene: Ronnie's Last Autograph

Gene shares a story of what was most likely Ronnie's last autograph. A deleted scene from the documentary, I'll Never Forget You: The Last 72 Hours of Lynyrd Skynyrd, based on Gene Odom's book, I'll Never Forget You.

Ronnie and Gene