Watch Gary Rossington’s Last Performance of ‘Gimme Three Steps’

Lynyrd Skynyrd released Gary Rossington’s final performance of “Gimme Three Steps” with the band before his death on March 5.

The last remaining original member, who was 71, played his last show on Nov. 22, 2022, at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. As it happened, the performance was being filmed with a multicamera setup; the result will appear in select theaters as The 50th Anniversary of Lynyrd Skynyrd from July 8 to 14.

In a 2009 interview with Guitar World, Rossington recalled the “true story” behind “Gimme Three Steps,” noting that “Ronnie [Van Zant] went into a bar to look for someone, and me and Allen [Collins] were too young to get in, so we’re waiting for him outside … then he came running out with a big ol’ guy chasing him, yelling.

"He had started dancing with this chick and this guy came in … and Ronnie said, 'Just give me three steps and I’m gone,'" he continued. "The guy had a gun and he was a redneck and he was drunk – a nasty combination of things – and Ronnie said, ‘If you’re going to shoot me, it’s going to be in the ass or in the elbow.’ And he took off like a bat out of hell. … We kind of wrote the song right there, drove over to Allen’s house, got his guitar and finished it."

Announcing the concert movie, singer Johnny Van Zant said, “It is certainly bittersweet … but we are so fortunate that we were able to share one last special night together onstage, doing what Gary loved.”

Screening locations and ticket details for the movie can be found at LynyrdSkynyrd50.com.