Ed was my best friend in 1963 at Toll Jr. High in Glendale, Ca. I played classical guitar and he said I would get famous some day. The opposite happened. He was a good dude and I was fortunate to get to know him. R.I.P. my friend.
I met Ed after he left the band in 75. He lived for many years in a little town known as Belleplain in southern New Jersey. He live there with his, then wife and two sons. He was quite the local legend. He later moved to Nashville where he had the heart transplant. We remained in touch until right before his passing. He was a very humble and caring person and one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known! With out doubt one of the finest guitar players the world has ever known!!
I live about 10 miles from Belleplain. Can't remember the year, maybe late 70's or early 80's, a local newspaper did a story on Ed King, the only thing I remember from the article was a picture of Ed standing by some gear boxes with Lynyrd Skynyrd on them. Wasn't a big Skynyrd fan back then but knew who they were but I always wondered how Ed ended up in the middle of nowhere in the little town of Belleplain.
@@chuckm6592 It was the late 70's not long after the plane crash in Oct.77. It was the Atlantic City Press that ran the story if memory serves me right. Either them or the County Gazette.
I firmly believe that we would not know Skynyrd in the way we do without Ed King. His contribution to the band cannot be overstated. As an aside, I believe Ed’s lead on “Workin’ For MCA” to be one of the finest ever recorded. In all of Rock music. RIP Ed.
I always thought Ed was extremely polished and a better fit in the pre-crash Skynyrd than Steve Gaines was. Ed knew just how much to play as a 3rd guitar to an established band without sucking all the oxygen out of the room, which Steve would have done eventually. Ed's leaving was a huge loss to Skynyrd.
RIP Ed King, your accomplishments will stand as a reminder that you were more than just a guitar player, you were an inspiration to everyone that crossed your path!
Alot of people don't realize just how many songs written by Ed or not written by him he arranged for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Bob Burns described Ed as a musical genius during his time with Skynyrd.
Ed's slide playing on "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" takes a decent song and makes into an all-time classic. He really captured the feeling of Ronnie's storytelling .
I was on Eds facebook page and asked him what tuning they used on Curtis Lowe . Ed answered me back the next day and wrote standard tuning, I was amazed that he answered back at all and the next day. RIP Ed King
Brought a breath of fresh air to the band. Switched from bass to triple threat guitarist. Guys like Ed King or even Mick Taylor never get too comfortable in one band. Brilliant musicians!!
..... and both of them brought Skynyrd & the Stones some of the greatest music they ever made . I mean the Mick Taylor version of the RS were by far their best
Let it Bleed and Sticky Fingers the pinnacle of the Stones. Let it Bleed was all Keith Richards , because Brian Jones was useless by then. And, of course Sticky Fingers is with Mick Taylor. @@peterherard8207
Being a Skynyrd fan from the beginning, I'll never forget when "Gimme Back My Bullets" came out noticing the absence of Ed on the cover shot of the band. There was also no mention of him anywhere on the album. Ed was MIA! There was no internet back then and normally this kind of info for me was usually found in "Hit Parader" or "Cream" magazine, popular music publications at that time. I didn't know where Ed went or why but his absence was most noticable to me when I listened to GBMB. It for me anyway was a kinda dark album that seemed to be missing something. There seemed to be a certain magic missing. Ed King gave that band so much of thier defining sound. They were never the same band again without him. As talented as Steve was, he was a different thing all together and they again changed. The first 3 Skynyrd albums "for me" will always be special in ways nothing after could duplicate. There was only 1 Ed King and he could never be replaced!
Missing Al Kooper made a huge difference too .. I heard the sonic dropoff immediately . Dowd let them get away with out of tune playing and the mix and drum sounds were lifeless in comparison to the first three Kooper albums. Songs were still solid... the recording standards were not. After the live album they did Street Survivors with Dowd in Miami at Criteria and the tracks were so bad people close to the band told them if they released them their career would be over ...they went back to Studio One in Doraville with Rodney Mills basically in charge and Dowd was not even in town. Dowd was a pivotal genius in music history but he was done by the time Skynyrd got him.
Ed King was more than a great musician. He was an awesome human being. He knew and understood his boundaries in life. Even up to the moment he died. The world was blessed to have Ed King when it did, and it is obvious he is truly missed. God Bless Ed King & family🙏🕯️✝️🇺🇸
Thank you for making this video! I've been preaching the Ed King gospel for years, dude was a brilliant songwriter and guitarist. You really did a fine job telling his story.
Ed was my favorite Skynyrd guitar player, loved all of their playing, but there was just something about Eds playing that gave me goosebumps...RIP Mr. KIng!
Me, too. I loved all three guitarists, but in the end, the songs he wrote simply had a certain something, like The Ballad Of Curtis Loew. Those slide parts are mouth-wateringly tasteful. @@russblack443
I love every note Ed plays on "Sweet Home Alabama." I didn't know the difference between single-coil and humbucker pickups at the time, but he was the first person I ever heard play pinch harmonics on a Stratocaster. Switching from a Les Paul to a Strat was a brilliant move on his part.
Holy cow I LOVED this video! I think Ed King is the most unsung guitarist ever. His two solos on Sweet Home Alabama alone grant him immortality. NO ONE before him EVER played like that! Thanks for this informative video!
LYNYRD SKYNYRD would have never reached the heights it did without Ed. Hearing Duane Allman on the radio for the first time brought out some ancient southern spirit that lived within him. Even though he was a California hippie, his soul was from the south and he was drawn there. Some of the most powerful and legendary Skynyrd songs such as Swamp Musuc. Saturday Night Special, Poison Whiskey, Sweet Home Alabama, Working for MCA and Whiskey Rock a Roller would not have come into being without him. His destiny was to play in that band.
i talked with ED one evening he was out on his boat and we got to talking and talked for about 30 mins and he told me it seemed things were kinda at a head with the parting and fussing in the band and they had been working and on the road so long he was really just tiered and needed a break from every thing this was about 7 or 8 months before he died he was such a nice guy really down to earth
Enjoyed this! He was obviously a great guitar talent - but when I first watched interviews with him what really struck me was his humble and genuine nature. We could use a few more like Ed King!
Ed you were and always will be 100% Lynyrd Skynyrd. Thank you for your music and your many guitar lessons on TH-cam. I was in “Awe” every time I saw you play. RIP
Most of my favorite Skynyrd songs were Ed King compositions. Severely underrated for years, it seems like he's finally starting to get his just do. Too bad it ended badly between him and Ronnie, but ultimately maybe that was for the best for Ed. Great video, buddy.
I met Ed at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin in August 1987. Most did not know who he was but I saw him the previous October at UIC Pavilion in Chicago. He was super kind! I was playing guitar in a pro band, often opening for everyone! We talked gear and music. He told me the guest that night was Steve Morse! Awesome show! One thing not talked about was there was a musical chemistry between him and Gary. Even Hughie Thomasson has stated that. Saw Skynryrd in 1991 at Alpine and they all played like the meant it! Hungry and and that was joy too see! Gary would play something different than normal snd Ed would respond. When Steve Gaines replaced Ed that interplay would be between Steve and Allen Collins. Ed’s playing on Workin’ for MCA was different than a blues based rock solo. Using pinch harmonics etc. Ed was a great and unique stylist. A big influence on me. Nice person!
Interesting post. I saw a TH-cam video with Ed King and Marty Schwartz. Ed really comes off as a nice guy. When you mention the interplay with Gary and Ed I really had noticed what you mentioned about the interplay with Allen and Steve Gaines. There is a video on TH-cam that shows the wonderful musical chemistry between Allen and Steve trading leads and rhytym guitar parts on "That Smell" during a live performance. It was phenomenal.
Great video/story. I'm a huge Skynyrd fan so I have to be an Ed King fan as well. He contributed as much to the band as everyone else, maybe more in some ways. I like the fact that he intentionally switched to a Strat because of the different sound/tone of that particular guitar. That's one of the things I always loved about the band's guitar sound, you could distinguish the different guitarist's by not only their playing style, but by the guitar sound. They rarely colored the sound with a lot of effects. I'm a Les Paul guy so I've always been partial to Gary's playing, but whenever I've tried out a Strat in a store for a possible purchase, I have to play the opening lick in Sweet Home. And if it doesn't sound like Ed King, I won't buy it. RIP Ed. You're one of the greatest musicians from one of the greatest bands in the history of rock and roll. That makes you a genuine 100% badass.
Great video! I really enjoyed it. I'd seen Ed on social media before his death and he always appeared to be a good bloke, and this video confirms that.
I went to school at Hoover High in Glendale with Ed and his band, Six Pence, at the time. I remember when they turned into the Strawberry Alarm Clock and had the hit, Incense and Peppermints, with the excellent fuzz tone rift. I was a year younger than Ed and was in a band called Common and the Other People. Great times!
Wow this is so awesome...I remember strawberry alarm clock, strawberry and peppermint, biggest strong song ever. When I was a child. Lynerd skynard one of my fav bands brought in a classic individual 🎉😊😀
I remember when Lynyrd Skynyrd was recording the 'Pronounced' album in Doraville,Georgia. There was excitement all the way over from my neck of the woods in Marietta to Atlanta and back! Oh, we waited for that album with baited breath! We weren't disappointed!!! I was a young guitar player back then who idolized Lynyrd Skynyrd but I got the opportunity later on when Ed became a guitarist to see them perform a few times while helping my friend's parents who owned clubs in the Atlanta area. I always watched Ed King perform because he was always listening for what the other two were playing and he could change styles justlikethat to wrap around whatever they were doing! It wasn't actual lead guitar or rhythm guitar but it made an already loud, noisy musical sound sound completed, filled in with all the right notes or chords! Sometimes lead, sometimes rhythm, sometimes both! I made up my mind that THAT was the type of guitar I wanted to play. Not flashy but totally indispensable! The glue that made the song work! I certainly never achieved Mr. King's celebrity, but my bands loved that I was always willing to listen to what they wanted to do and then I did my best to fill in what else they wanted to hear! The resulting product always made both us and our audiences smile! It also stretched me as a player to learn new techniques and ways to get that music perfect in our ears! I had no idea Ed had passed. My condolences to his family and friends. I will always remember him as the quietest member of Skynyrd but the one who made the music whole and perfect! Thank you Ed for many great years of music! May you find peace in your latest adventure!
Lynyrd Skynyrd was my favorite band in the mid 70's. I played one of more of their albums literally every day. Truth be told Ed was my favorite guitarist in the band. He had a style that was very noticeable.
I remember meeting Ed at a gig I played at The Purple Turnip in Modesto, CA in '66. He seemed more professional than most of the other musicians I had met back then. He played great, I think they were called the Three Sixpence at that time, English sounding. Nice guy, great guitar picker.
Awesome RD《☆》Wonderful Documentary Brother😎🤳I never met Ed in person but I feel like I knew him because of Great Videos like this. I was a Military brat but lived in Jacksonville from 72 to 79 and off & on to this day. I crossed paths with Allen & Gary on separate occasions after meeting JoJo Billingsley who was a Honkette with SKYNYRD. Unfortunately I was a Cocky teenager at the time. Me & a Pal were invited to JoJos house to party. As it turned out We were the party. Allen knocked on the front door when JoJo was getting changed into something more comfortable. I had to answer the door. I knew immediately who Allen was but I just shook his hand & invited him in without saying anything about him being one of my Guitar Heroes or anything. He said he was checking in to make sure Jo was ok as he saw our Motorcycles in her driveway. He got in his Big JEEP & left without talking to Jo. I couldn't stay very long due to a parental curfew but my Pal did. He was an older guy that was dating my GFs bestie. He showed up at KMart as I was ending my shift at 9pm. He offered to buy some Beer & we were going to just park our Bikes in the Treeline next to Jax Liquors which was near KMart. JoJo was in the Jax Drivethru in a Cadillac Convertible with the Top down. I popped a wheelie as we were coming up into the drivethru on my 73 RD350. She stood up in her car, turned around & said Hey Y'all wanna Party??We had no idea who she was but it sounded way better than sitting on our bikes & drinking beer. When we walked thru the foyer in her modest 3 bedroom starter home close to Jax Liquors we could see the Gold & Platinum Records framed on the wall. Anyway My Pal apparently invited himself back to her house when she wasn't home & stole some valuable items. He disappeared after that happened. JoJo came to KMart to ask me if I'd seen him as his fingerprints were found on her bathroom window. Interestingly enough Gary came up to me when I was on Door Greeter duty at KMart a few days after Jo had talked to me. I think it was just a coincidence. Gary was in a hurry & asked me Where's the Birthday Candles man. Again my Koolness prevented me from letting on that he was also a Guitar Hero of mine. Keep up the good work🔔Big Like & Sub✌🏼😎☯️
Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this mini-documentary about Ed. I was lucky enough to be a young man growing up in the 70s when L.S. hit the radio waves. All of that great music that I grew up with would end up changing my life, it made me the person I am today. Guitar player for 50+ years, I am a vary nice person who still believes in love and peace. I loved Ed and the music he played. Rock on in heaven Ed.
Thanks for this video! Great band, talented guitarist. He must have been excited to go from Strawberry Alarm Clock to Skynyrd. It gave him the opportunity to fly.
I love your Tribute to Ed King .One of the greatest players to strap on a guitar . Great person off stage you got that . CHEERS BIG GUY IN ROCKNROLL HEAVEN
Great job on this video. Ed was a dear friend for many years prior to passing. I miss him tremendously. I heard many of the stories you share, some with additional detail. He's everything you describe, as well as being sharp as a tack. Smart, smart guy, with an incredible keen, dry sense of humor. He was working on an autobiography, but ran out of time. How I wish he had been able to finish it. Thanks for a wonderful tribute.
You're welcome and thank you for watching. I have heard rumors that Ed's wife is trying to get everything together and there is a chance that autobiography still might be a reality.
Ed was probably IMO their best overall guitarist, and co-wrote some of their best songs. Also, it was a big change from his previous band, Strawberry Alarm Clock. Psychedelic man’ 😊
Ed's impact on Skynyrd was pivotal. As much as some people might not want to hear this, I think if Ed King doesn't show up when he did, Skynyrd really never gets very far. Sweet Home Alabama and all the parts Ed wrote (solo, especially) are what makes that entire song so memorable. His ability to arrange songs was also something he doesn't get a lot of credit for but once he left, the writing in Skynyrd fell off. Some attempt to disagree but c'mon, it's a reach to say otherwise. Ed made a comment once about the album cover and the lightning bolt going through his head and it being some sort of curse. It IS strange that the guy that replaced him was born on the exact same day as if fulfilling the parameters of the spell or something. Steve Gaines also brought the writing back up to a respectable level. Fate is a strange thing.
I agree, I thought "Second Helping" with Ed participating in the songwriting was a better album than "Pronounced" which was written before Ed joined the band.
I'd say he had amazing raw talent and needed the opportunity to express it. The chemistry of Skynyrd gave him that opportunity. Let's not forget how hard they practiced and toured. Put in the work.
Our band opened for the Strawberry Alarm Clock here in Santa Barbara many years back now. Ed's amp crapped out on him at soundcheck and he asked if he could use my Super Reverb....I of course said yes. After their set he wanted to buy it from me on the spot. I said no as it was my one and only and I really liked it. He totally understood and was very cool about it. A nice man he was.
Ed spoke in an interview with internet guitarist named Marty something. Said Ronnie was drinking hard during tours and was awful to deal with. Interesting video, thanks
What I understand is lynyrd skynyrd had got to Nashville they were still playing cover songs and some original songs but they hadn’t broken into the mainstream industry. Ronny liked Ed if he would play bass he could be in band, Leon came back to play bass Ronny Ed could stay have a 3 guitar attack with Ed on a fender strat, Ed had already had a number one hit with s.a.c, he had the experience to help the band write songs with depth and precision. I think he gave the band its lynyrd skynyrd sound. I love Ed kings guitar he’s one of the greats!
Very well done video. Ed King did definitely seem to be a really great guy from what I was able to gather from watching interviews and Skynyrd documentaries.
River~Docs , as Usual Excellent!! Ed King was a really GREAT player of Guitar, & Bass, maybe not all that much, but still had a lot of the 3 Guitar parts would not sound so good without him between Garry and Alan! Recording In Muscle Shoals Sound AL. Was a dream come true to record where my favorite band recorded 🤘🎸🤠y
@@RiverDocs Thank you Brother, I enjoy your videos and I love Lynyrd Skynyrd and Ed King may not have been a born Southern Rock and Roller!! But he still had a lot to add to Southern Rock and Roll and he did spend his Final Years in Tennessee, Right? Nashville I think is Right, 🙏🫶🤠🎸
Thank you for this piece of great information about Ed it’s always one of my favourite guitar players in the band I like playing Lynyrd Skynyrd on my guitar . What an inspiration. Thanks again for the video
I used to go see him play in a band called Smokehouse with female singer in a club in Greenville NC 72, then I worked at the attic cpl years saw Lynard Skinner quite a few times he was good
I grew up about half of a mile from hell house during the 60s and 70s. Just preteens a couple of the neighborhood boys would jump on our bicycles and go sit on the train trusses and listen to the band practice. What a memorable experience.
Great video, as always. I saw a video interview with Ed later in his life, where he went into more detail about how Ronnie had been getting out of hand with his extreme verbal abuse & violent threats while intoxicated, including the specific incident where Ronnie threatened Ed that was really nasty, which prompted Ed to quit the band immediately. But Ed really did love & respect Ronnie. If it wasn't for Ronnie's temper & threats due to alcoholism, there's a good chance none of them would've boarded that plane on that final trip on that fateful day.........because it was Ronnie who demanded they all get on that plane........or else. No matter the level of the threats, I would've refused to get on that plane.
Love your videos man.Your videos are alll about the guys & the bands I love.Especially the guitar players from Skynyrd.Keep em’ coming they are awesome
Thanks. Appreciate it. I've covered all 4 Skynyrd guitar players and Ronnie on the channel. Maybe I'll do Leon in the near future. Gotta remember them bass players too!
Crazy thing that happened to me I went to see them just before the plane crash at the capital theater in NJ And went just to see Eddie Figures he quit the group at the time and Steve gains joined so I never got to see him
Ed was my best friend in 1963 at Toll Jr. High in Glendale, Ca. I played classical guitar and he said I would get famous some day. The opposite happened. He was a good dude and I was fortunate to get to know him. R.I.P. my friend.
I met Ed after he left the band in 75. He lived for many years in a little town known as Belleplain in southern New Jersey. He live there with his, then wife and two sons. He was quite the local legend. He later moved to Nashville where he had the heart transplant. We remained in touch until right before his passing. He was a very humble and caring person and one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known! With out doubt one of the finest guitar players the world has ever known!!
I met Ed at a recording studio in Newfield, NJ (late 80’s). Every account is true. Humble, thoughtful man. Great player.
Very interesting I never knew this! I live close by!
I live about 10 miles from Belleplain. Can't remember the year, maybe late 70's or early 80's, a local newspaper did a story on Ed King, the only thing I remember from the article was a picture of Ed standing by some gear boxes with Lynyrd Skynyrd on them. Wasn't a big Skynyrd fan back then but knew who they were but I always wondered how Ed ended up in the middle of nowhere in the little town of Belleplain.
@@chuckm6592 It was the late 70's not long after the plane crash in Oct.77. It was the Atlantic City Press that ran the story if memory serves me right. Either them or the County Gazette.
Excellent work here! Love Ed’s musical legacy!
Ed King was my friend. RIP Ed. I will not forget your friendship.
I firmly believe that we would not know Skynyrd in the way we do without Ed King. His contribution to the band cannot be overstated. As an aside, I believe Ed’s lead on “Workin’ For MCA” to be one of the finest ever recorded. In all of Rock music. RIP Ed.
Right on to that
I always thought Ed was extremely polished and a better fit in the pre-crash Skynyrd than Steve Gaines was. Ed knew just how much to play as a 3rd guitar to an established band without sucking all the oxygen out of the room, which Steve would have done eventually. Ed's leaving was a huge loss to Skynyrd.
@@wagliz163 All of my favorite Skynyrd was with Ed King playing!
I always thought Workin for MCA was Skynyrds best song. Everything comes together perfectly on it, lyrics, instrumentals etc.
RIP Ed King, your accomplishments will stand as a reminder that you were more than just a guitar player, you were an inspiration to everyone that crossed your path!
What a life he had.... great story
Alot of people don't realize just how many songs written by Ed or not written by him he arranged for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Bob Burns described Ed as a musical genius during his time with Skynyrd.
Ed's slide playing on "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" takes a decent song and makes into an all-time classic. He really captured the feeling of Ronnie's storytelling .
Agree!!
Absolutely right 👌
Right On Man !!!
I have always loved Ed's slide playing on I'm a country boy. Without it the song just wouldn't be that great.
Ed was such a talent and so humble and approachable. RIP big guy!
I was on Eds facebook page and asked him what tuning they used on Curtis Lowe . Ed answered me back the next day and wrote standard tuning, I was amazed that he answered back at all and the next day. RIP Ed King
Brought a breath of fresh air to the band. Switched from bass to triple threat guitarist. Guys like Ed King or even Mick Taylor never get too comfortable in one band. Brilliant musicians!!
..... and both of them brought Skynyrd & the Stones some of the greatest music they ever made . I mean the Mick Taylor version of the RS were by far their best
Let it Bleed and Sticky Fingers the pinnacle of the Stones. Let it Bleed was all Keith Richards , because Brian Jones was useless by then. And, of course Sticky Fingers is with Mick Taylor. @@peterherard8207
Good parallel
You couldn't have named 2 more fitting and incredibly talented musicians.
Being a Skynyrd fan from the beginning, I'll never forget when "Gimme Back My Bullets" came out noticing the absence of Ed on the cover shot of the band. There was also no mention of him anywhere on the album. Ed was MIA! There was no internet back then and normally this kind of info for me was usually found in "Hit Parader" or "Cream" magazine, popular music publications at that time. I didn't know where Ed went or why but his absence was most noticable to me when I listened to GBMB. It for me anyway was a kinda dark album that seemed to be missing something. There seemed to be a certain magic missing. Ed King gave that band so much of thier defining sound. They were never the same band again without him. As talented as Steve was, he was a different thing all together and they again changed.
The first 3 Skynyrd albums "for me" will always be special in ways nothing after could duplicate.
There was only 1 Ed King and he could never be replaced!
Well said.
@@falconsnfl thanks I figured there had to be someone out there that felt the same way
Skynyrd certainly lost something when ed left I think skynyrd was at there best when ed was in the band
I could not agree more and it’s the first three albums that have the best songs and playing on them… Ed King RIP
Missing Al Kooper made a huge difference too .. I heard the sonic dropoff immediately . Dowd let them get away with out of tune playing and the mix and drum sounds were lifeless in comparison to the first three Kooper albums. Songs were still solid... the recording standards were not. After the live album they did Street Survivors with Dowd in Miami at Criteria and the tracks were so bad people close to the band told them if they released them their career would be over ...they went back to Studio One in Doraville with Rodney Mills basically in charge and Dowd was not even in town. Dowd was a pivotal genius in music history but he was done by the time Skynyrd got him.
Ed King was more than a great musician. He was an awesome human being. He knew and understood his boundaries in life. Even up to the moment he died. The world was blessed to have Ed King when it did, and it is obvious he is truly missed. God Bless Ed King & family🙏🕯️✝️🇺🇸
Beautifully written. My compliments.
Thank you for the awesome tribute to the late great Ed King!
Thank you for making this video! I've been preaching the Ed King gospel for years, dude was a brilliant songwriter and guitarist. You really did a fine job telling his story.
You're welcome! Appreciate your kind words!
Ed was my favorite Skynyrd guitar player, loved all of their playing, but there was just something about Eds playing that gave me goosebumps...RIP Mr. KIng!
100% agree!
Ed has always been my favorite also
Me, too. I loved all three guitarists, but in the end, the songs he wrote simply had a certain something, like The Ballad Of Curtis Loew. Those slide parts are mouth-wateringly tasteful. @@russblack443
👍💯❤
Ed has a very thoughtful soloing style,Am I Losin' comes to mind
I think his contribution to Saturday night special is almost as important as Sweet Home Alabama. RIP Ted King! ❤
I love every note Ed plays on "Sweet Home Alabama." I didn't know the difference between single-coil and humbucker pickups at the time, but he was the first person I ever heard play pinch harmonics on a Stratocaster. Switching from a Les Paul to a Strat was a brilliant move on his part.
All those southern rock bands with dual and triple lead guitars make such great songs, I love it.
I always wanted Ed and Steve Gains to get a chance to play with eachother! How crazy would that have been!!!!!
Ed King's style is what got me interested in playing. This is probably my favorite of your documentaries.
Wow thank you. Hey you can't go wrong with Ed. He was a great player and a very smart musical mind!
Ed was my friend. He was humble, grateful, and funny! I miss drinking coffee and reading his morning Facebook posts.
Love his history with Lynyrd Skynyrd. True talent.
I didn't know that Ed had passed away he was so talented and great in everything and band he was in great man RIP ED
Holy cow I LOVED this video! I think Ed King is the most unsung guitarist ever. His two solos on Sweet Home Alabama alone grant him immortality. NO ONE before him EVER played like that! Thanks for this informative video!
You're welcome. Thanks!
So true! Those solos are so perfect for the song!
Excellent and thorough job on the guitarist who needs to be recognized and appreciated. Thank you for a job well done.
Thank you too!
Informative and enjoyable summary of Ed's musical career. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this!
You're very welcome. Thank you for watching! Much appreciated.
RIP Ed you will always be part of Skynyrd.
Best Documentary on Ed King ive ever seen! Thank
You're welcome. I appreciate it!
LYNYRD SKYNYRD would have never reached the heights it did without Ed. Hearing Duane Allman on the radio for the first time brought out some ancient southern spirit that lived within him. Even though he was a California hippie, his soul was from the south and he was drawn there. Some of the most powerful and legendary Skynyrd songs such as Swamp Musuc. Saturday Night Special, Poison Whiskey, Sweet Home Alabama, Working for MCA and Whiskey Rock a Roller would not have come into being without him. His destiny was to play in that band.
i talked with ED one evening he was out on his boat and we got to talking and talked for about 30 mins and he told me it seemed things were kinda at a head with the parting and fussing in the band and they had been working and on the road so long he was really just tiered and needed a break from every thing this was about 7 or 8 months before he died he was such a nice guy really down to earth
Enjoyed this! He was obviously a great guitar talent - but when I first watched interviews with him what really struck me was his humble and genuine nature. We could use a few more like Ed King!
Ed you were and always will be 100% Lynyrd Skynyrd. Thank you for your music and your many guitar lessons on TH-cam. I was in “Awe” every time I saw you play. RIP
Legendary. Saw him many times with the reformed Skynyrd.
Most of my favorite Skynyrd songs were Ed King compositions. Severely underrated for years, it seems like he's finally starting to get his just do. Too bad it ended badly between him and Ronnie, but ultimately maybe that was for the best for Ed. Great video, buddy.
Huge Fan of Ed, like a lot of successful people it was hard work and a lot of luck. John Lennon felt this was a true virtue of the music business
I met Ed at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin in August 1987. Most did not know who he was but I saw him the previous October at UIC Pavilion in Chicago. He was super kind! I was playing guitar in a pro band, often opening for everyone! We talked gear and music. He told me the guest that night was Steve Morse! Awesome show! One thing not talked about was there was a musical chemistry between him and Gary. Even Hughie Thomasson has stated that. Saw Skynryrd in 1991 at Alpine and they all played like the meant it! Hungry and and that was joy too see! Gary would play something different than normal snd Ed would respond. When Steve Gaines replaced Ed that interplay would be between Steve and Allen Collins. Ed’s playing on Workin’ for MCA was different than a blues based rock solo. Using pinch harmonics etc. Ed was a great and unique stylist. A big influence on me. Nice person!
😮
Interesting post. I saw a TH-cam video with Ed King and Marty Schwartz. Ed really comes off as a nice guy.
When you mention the interplay with Gary and Ed I really had noticed what you mentioned about the interplay with Allen and Steve Gaines. There is a video on TH-cam that shows the wonderful musical chemistry between Allen and Steve trading leads and rhytym guitar parts on "That Smell" during a live performance. It was phenomenal.
Great video/story. I'm a huge Skynyrd fan so I have to be an Ed King fan as well. He contributed as much to the band as everyone else, maybe more in some ways. I like the fact that he intentionally switched to a Strat because of the different sound/tone of that particular guitar. That's one of the things I always loved about the band's guitar sound, you could distinguish the different guitarist's by not only their playing style, but by the guitar sound. They rarely colored the sound with a lot of effects. I'm a Les Paul guy so I've always been partial to Gary's playing, but whenever I've tried out a Strat in a store for a possible purchase, I have to play the opening lick in Sweet Home. And if it doesn't sound like Ed King, I won't buy it.
RIP Ed. You're one of the greatest musicians from one of the greatest bands in the history of rock and roll. That makes you a genuine 100% badass.
Thanks...and well said!!
Ed was always my favorite in the band.
Great video! I really enjoyed it. I'd seen Ed on social media before his death and he always appeared to be a good bloke, and this video confirms that.
Thanks!
I went to school at Hoover High in Glendale with Ed and his band, Six Pence, at the time. I remember when they turned into the Strawberry Alarm Clock and had the hit, Incense and Peppermints, with the excellent fuzz tone rift. I was a year younger than Ed and was in a band called Common and the Other People. Great times!
Wow this is so awesome...I remember strawberry alarm clock, strawberry and peppermint, biggest strong song ever. When I was a child. Lynerd skynard one of my fav bands brought in a classic individual 🎉😊😀
a great player. RIP Ed.
Ed had a dream about the lead in Alabama
I remember when Lynyrd Skynyrd was recording the 'Pronounced' album in Doraville,Georgia. There was excitement all the way over from my neck of the woods in Marietta to Atlanta and back! Oh, we waited for that album with baited breath! We weren't disappointed!!! I was a young guitar player back then who idolized Lynyrd Skynyrd but I got the opportunity later on when Ed became a guitarist to see them perform a few times while helping my friend's parents who owned clubs in the Atlanta area. I always watched Ed King perform because he was always listening for what the other two were playing and he could change styles justlikethat to wrap around whatever they were doing! It wasn't actual lead guitar or rhythm guitar but it made an already loud, noisy musical sound sound completed, filled in with all the right notes or chords! Sometimes lead, sometimes rhythm, sometimes both! I made up my mind that THAT was the type of guitar I wanted to play. Not flashy but totally indispensable! The glue that made the song work! I certainly never achieved Mr. King's celebrity, but my bands loved that I was always willing to listen to what they wanted to do and then I did my best to fill in what else they wanted to hear! The resulting product always made both us and our audiences smile! It also stretched me as a player to learn new techniques and ways to get that music perfect in our ears! I had no idea Ed had passed. My condolences to his family and friends. I will always remember him as the quietest member of Skynyrd but the one who made the music whole and perfect! Thank you Ed for many great years of music! May you find peace in your latest adventure!
Lynyrd Skynyrd was my favorite band in the mid 70's. I played one of more of their albums literally every day. Truth be told Ed was my favorite guitarist in the band. He had a style that was very noticeable.
What a great guy! Made a big difference to the band over all.god speed brother and thank you for the Ride.
I remember meeting Ed at a gig I played at The Purple Turnip in Modesto, CA in '66. He seemed more professional than most of the other musicians I had met back then. He played great, I think they were called the Three Sixpence at that time, English sounding. Nice guy, great guitar picker.
Awesome RD《☆》Wonderful Documentary Brother😎🤳I never met Ed in person but I feel like I knew him because of Great Videos like this. I was a Military brat but lived in Jacksonville from 72 to 79 and off & on to this day. I crossed paths with Allen & Gary on separate occasions after meeting JoJo Billingsley who was a Honkette with SKYNYRD. Unfortunately I was a Cocky teenager at the time. Me & a Pal were invited to JoJos house to party. As it turned out We were the party. Allen knocked on the front door when JoJo was getting changed into something more comfortable. I had to answer the door. I knew immediately who Allen was but I just shook his hand & invited him in without saying anything about him being one of my Guitar Heroes or anything. He said he was checking in to make sure Jo was ok as he saw our Motorcycles in her driveway. He got in his Big JEEP & left without talking to Jo. I couldn't stay very long due to a parental curfew but my Pal did. He was an older guy that was dating my GFs bestie. He showed up at KMart as I was ending my shift at 9pm. He offered to buy some Beer & we were going to just park our Bikes in the Treeline next to Jax Liquors which was near KMart. JoJo was in the Jax Drivethru in a Cadillac Convertible with the Top down. I popped a wheelie as we were coming up into the drivethru on my 73 RD350. She stood up in her car, turned around & said Hey Y'all wanna Party??We had no idea who she was but it sounded way better than sitting on our bikes & drinking beer. When we walked thru the foyer in her modest 3 bedroom starter home close to Jax Liquors we could see the Gold & Platinum Records framed on the wall. Anyway My Pal apparently invited himself back to her house when she wasn't home & stole some valuable items. He disappeared after that happened. JoJo came to KMart to ask me if I'd seen him as his fingerprints were found on her bathroom window. Interestingly enough Gary came up to me when I was on Door Greeter duty at KMart a few days after Jo had talked to me. I think it was just a coincidence. Gary was in a hurry & asked me Where's the Birthday Candles man. Again my Koolness prevented me from letting on that he was also a Guitar Hero of mine. Keep up the good work🔔Big Like & Sub✌🏼😎☯️
Great story BDOG thanks for sharing. Appreciate your support!
A lovely tribute to a superb musician. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this mini-documentary about Ed. I was lucky enough to be a young man growing up in the 70s when L.S. hit the radio waves. All of that great music that I grew up with would end up changing my life, it made me the person I am today. Guitar player for 50+ years, I am a vary nice person who still believes in love and peace. I loved Ed and the music he played. Rock on in heaven Ed.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for this video!
Great band, talented guitarist. He must have been excited to go from Strawberry Alarm Clock to Skynyrd. It gave him the opportunity to fly.
Welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!
I love need all my friends great song wish Ronnie lived longer he was brilliant singer ed was a great player i miss him
Adding Ed's strat changed everything for the better. Ed King was the man. My Man! My main man! GB.
Thank you so very much for this wonderful Ed King documentary
He's one of the best guitar player ever. He knew what he was doing. Ttul one of a kind.
I love your Tribute to Ed King .One of the greatest players to strap on a guitar . Great person off stage you got that . CHEERS BIG GUY IN ROCKNROLL HEAVEN
Glendale California is the birthplace of some legendary guitarists… Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy was born in Glendale also
Great tribute to Mr. Ed King!
Ed was a great guitar player
Great job on this video. Ed was a dear friend for many years prior to passing. I miss him tremendously. I heard many of the stories you share, some with additional detail. He's everything you describe, as well as being sharp as a tack. Smart, smart guy, with an incredible keen, dry sense of humor. He was working on an autobiography, but ran out of time. How I wish he had been able to finish it. Thanks for a wonderful tribute.
You're welcome and thank you for watching. I have heard rumors that Ed's wife is trying to get everything together and there is a chance that autobiography still might be a reality.
She is, and I sure hope it happens. I told Sharon I'd like to buy the first copy when published! I just hate Ed didn't see it to fruition.
I followed Ed over years through his days on Facebook until his death. He was a great guy and I enjoyed his videos
Ed was probably IMO their best overall guitarist, and co-wrote some of their best songs. Also, it was a big change from his previous band, Strawberry Alarm Clock.
Psychedelic man’ 😊
Great job on this!
Thanks!
Ed's impact on Skynyrd was pivotal. As much as some people might not want to hear this, I think if Ed King doesn't show up when he did, Skynyrd really never gets very far. Sweet Home Alabama and all the parts Ed wrote (solo, especially) are what makes that entire song so memorable. His ability to arrange songs was also something he doesn't get a lot of credit for but once he left, the writing in Skynyrd fell off. Some attempt to disagree but c'mon, it's a reach to say otherwise.
Ed made a comment once about the album cover and the lightning bolt going through his head and it being some sort of curse. It IS strange that the guy that replaced him was born on the exact same day as if fulfilling the parameters of the spell or something. Steve Gaines also brought the writing back up to a respectable level. Fate is a strange thing.
I agree, I thought "Second Helping" with Ed participating in the songwriting was a better album than "Pronounced" which was written before Ed joined the band.
THANKS TURN IT UP
Although I've heard his playing for many years, I didn't know much about Ed King until now. It sounds like he was a genuinely good man. RIP Mr. King.
As always a great video
Glad you enjoyed it
I'd say he had amazing raw talent and needed the opportunity to express it. The chemistry of Skynyrd gave him that opportunity. Let's not forget how hard they practiced and toured. Put in the work.
I really wish I had met the man, loved his playing. Another winner RD! Keep 'em comin'!
Thanks Ferd!!
The strat master R.I.P Mr King .
Ed did all the best guitar work on "Sweet Home Alabama" & lots of others
Ed wrote/ co wrote many great songs and some classic riffs. But his solos in Saturday Night Special and Workin for MCA are as good as it gets.
Don't forget his slide playing on Cutis Loew. It really makes that song a classic.
Gary does the solo on sns
He was a great human being and one hell of a guitar player
Our band opened for the Strawberry Alarm Clock here in Santa Barbara many years back now. Ed's amp crapped out on him at soundcheck and he asked if he could use my Super Reverb....I of course said yes. After their set he wanted to buy it from me on the spot. I said no as it was my one and only and I really liked it. He totally understood and was very cool about it. A nice man he was.
On this channel's comments I have heard nothing but good about Ed King. It really does seem he was a very nice and decent guy all through his career!
great guitarist, thanks for the music. another thanks to gaines, you guys shaped the way i play.
ALWAYS my favorite member and an amazing talent!
Saw ed twice. With skynyrd. Awesome 😊😊
Was a fan of Ed Kings since the "Strawberry" days. RIP Ed King
Very good description of ed's life sir . Thank you for the passion and effort !
...he was just that Great!🎼🎶🎸
RIP Ed 🙏🏼🕊️🙏🏼
Great documentary! Ed was a real talent and I think an underrated guitarist, great player!
Ed spoke in an interview with internet guitarist named Marty something. Said Ronnie was drinking hard during tours and was awful to deal with. Interesting video, thanks
Yeah Ronnie from all accounts was a terror on the road. His wife said at home he hardly, if ever drank. Appreciate you watching. Thanks!
Outstanding video. Thank you for producing this.
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!
What I understand is lynyrd skynyrd had got to Nashville they were still playing cover songs and some original songs but they hadn’t broken into the mainstream industry. Ronny liked Ed if he would play bass he could be in band, Leon came back to play bass Ronny Ed could stay have a 3 guitar attack with Ed on a fender strat, Ed had already had a number one hit with s.a.c, he had the experience to help the band write songs with depth and precision. I think he gave the band its lynyrd skynyrd sound. I love Ed kings guitar he’s one of the greats!
Awesome musician. RIP! Ed ✌️
I interviewed him when I was on the radio in Memphis. That was in 1973 or 4 just Skynnyrd became huge. He was very nice to me.
Very well done video.
Ed King did definitely seem to be a really great guy from what I was able to gather from watching interviews and Skynyrd documentaries.
Glad you enjoyed it! Same here. I never knew him personally just his online self. Thanks for watching!
River~Docs , as Usual Excellent!! Ed King was a really GREAT player of Guitar, & Bass, maybe not all that much, but still had a lot of the 3 Guitar parts would not sound so good without him between Garry and Alan! Recording In Muscle Shoals Sound AL. Was a dream come true to record where my favorite band recorded 🤘🎸🤠y
Thank you Ryan. Mucho appreciated!!
@@RiverDocs Thank you Brother, I enjoy your videos and I love Lynyrd Skynyrd and Ed King may not have been a born Southern Rock and Roller!! But he still had a lot to add to Southern Rock and Roll and he did spend his Final Years in Tennessee, Right? Nashville I think is Right, 🙏🫶🤠🎸
mr. River Docs, your videos are great, thank you
You are very welcome!
Thank you for this piece of great information about Ed it’s always one of my favourite guitar players in the band I like playing Lynyrd Skynyrd on my guitar . What an inspiration. Thanks again for the video
You're welcome. Appreciate you watching!
I used to go see him play in a band called Smokehouse with female singer in a club in Greenville NC 72, then I worked at the attic cpl years saw Lynard Skinner quite a few times he was good
SKynyrd gave the world the gift of Gangster Rock God Bless them !!
I grew up about half of a mile from hell house during the 60s and 70s. Just preteens a couple of the neighborhood boys would jump on our bicycles and go sit on the train trusses and listen to the band practice. What a memorable experience.
Man what great memories to have!! Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
Ed King - Champion and Legend
He was "that damn great" RIP
Great video, as always. I saw a video interview with Ed later in his life, where he went into more detail about how Ronnie had been getting out of hand with his extreme verbal abuse & violent threats while intoxicated, including the specific incident where Ronnie threatened Ed that was really nasty, which prompted Ed to quit the band immediately. But Ed really did love & respect Ronnie. If it wasn't for Ronnie's temper & threats due to alcoholism, there's a good chance none of them would've boarded that plane on that final trip on that fateful day.........because it was Ronnie who demanded they all get on that plane........or else. No matter the level of the threats, I would've refused to get on that plane.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
Also from the Shade Tree sessions, the wonderful, criminally unknown, "If Im Wrong"
Ed played like he grew up in Clarksdale. He had a southern soul. His solos in 'Am I Losin" and
Swamp Music" were the most Sothern licks I ever heard.
Love your videos man.Your videos are alll about the guys & the bands I love.Especially the guitar players from Skynyrd.Keep em’ coming they are awesome
Thanks. Appreciate it. I've covered all 4 Skynyrd guitar players and Ronnie on the channel. Maybe I'll do Leon in the near future. Gotta remember them bass players too!
Ed is one of my favs as I,m a Cali hippy 2.
Love Ed king he was so cool
Ed was a great guitarist and blended perfectly with two other greats, Collins and Rossington.
Crazy thing that happened to me
I went to see them just before the plane crash at the capital theater in NJ
And went just to see Eddie
Figures he quit the group at the time and Steve gains joined so I never got to see him