Ed King

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Edward C. "Ed" King (born September 14, 1949 in Glendale, California) is an American musician. He was best known as a guitarist for psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock and guitarist and bassist for rock band Southern Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 to 1975 and again from 1987 to 1996.

Video Ed King

Biography

King was one of the founding members of the Strawberry Alarm Clock, formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band's greatest success was with the song that King co-wrote, "Incense and Peppermints" (but, together with keyboardist Mark Weitz, did not get credit). The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1967. Their follow-up single, "Tomorrow," reached No. 1. 23 on January 1st. The king met a member of the Jacksonville, Florida-based rock band Southern Lynyrd Skynyrd when the band opened for Alarm Clock Strawberry on several shows in early 1968. Not until 1972 he joined Skynyrd, replacing Leon Wilkeson on bass, who left the band briefly. Wilkeson rejoined the band, and King turned to the guitar, creating a triple-guitar attack that became the signature sound for the band.

His guitar playing skills and writing are important elements for the band's first three albums: Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd , Second Helping , and Nuthin 'Fancy . King co-wrote "Sweet Home Alabama," and her voice counted "one, two, three," before she launched her famous riff to start the song. Other songs the King wrote or wrote with music to include "Poison Whiskey," "Saturday Night Special," "Mr Banker," "Swamp Music," "Whiskey Rock-a-Roller," "Railroad Song," "I Needs You "and" Workin 'For MCA. "

King decided to leave the band in 1975 during the "Torture Tour." He was replaced in 1976 by Steve Gaines, who was killed in a plane crash with his sister Cassie Gaines and vocalist Ronnie Van Zant on October 20, 1977.

King was one of the guitarists for Lynyrd Skynyrd's reunion in 1987, and played a major role in reunited bands. He was forced to leave Lynyrd Skynyrd again in 1996 due to congestive heart failure.

King, along with all Lynyrd Skynyrd's pre-disaster members, was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

In 2011, Ed King underwent a successful heart transplant.

In 2014 King played on Skinny Molly's album: "Here For A Good Time." She plays in the song "Make It Easy."

In 2017, King appeared as a customer on the Discovery Channel docudrama Moonshiners (TV series), purchased a $ 30,000 premium gin made by moonshiners Mark Ramsey and "Digger" Manes.

Playing King's guitar has influenced many of the next musicians, including Metallica Cliff Burton's final bassist.