Ed King started with the Strawberry Alarm Clock, but was best known as one of the three lead guitarists for Lynyrd Skynyrd (along with Allen Collins and Gary Rossington) – though he left after fights with Ronnie, claiming he was just a California hippie. Here is a song that Ed wrote, and plays lead guitar:
In 1970 the Strawberry Alarm Clock appeared in the Russ Meyer cult classic film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. By this time the band’s audience had mostly disappeared. They kept performing for some time, touring the South in 1970 and 1971 with Florida band Lynyrd Skynyrd opening for them. In the latter part of 1971, the group, now without a record label and in conflict over musical direction, opted to disband, with King deciding to relocate to the South and Gunnels joining the backup band for the Everly Brothers, alongside Waddy Wachtel and Warren Zevon. King was invited to join Lynyrd Skynyrd in November 1972 and accepted, becoming a member of that band from 1972 to 1975, then again from 1987 to 1996.
Extra credit – the first time Lynyrd Skynyrd got back together after the plane crash with the CD Band:
https://youtu.be/O2UYKW-L8o8
Following a performance at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina, on October 20, 1977, the band boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they were scheduled to appear at LSU the following night. After running out of fuel they attempted an emergency landing before crashing in a heavily forested area five miles northeast of Gillsburg, Mississippi.[23][24] Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve’s older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray were killed on impact; other band members (Collins, Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Pyle, and Hawkins), tour manager Ron Eckerman,[25] and several road crew suffered serious injuries.
The accident came just three days after the release of Street Survivors. Following the crash and the ensuing press, Street Survivors became the band’s second platinum album and reached No. 5 on the U.S. album chart. The single “What’s Your Name” reached No. 13 on the single charts in 1978. The original cover sleeve for Street Survivors had featured a photograph of the band engulfed in flames, with Steve Gaines nearly obscured by fire. Out of respect for the deceased (and at the request of Teresa Gaines, Steve’s widow), MCA Records withdrew the original cover and replaced it with the album’s back photo, a similar image of the band against a simple black background.[26] Thirty years later, for the deluxe CD version of Street Survivors, the original “flames” cover was restored.
Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the tragedy, reuniting only on one occasion to perform an instrumental version of “Free Bird” at Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jam V in January 1979. Collins, Rossington, Powell, and Pyle were joined by Daniels and members of his band. Leon Wilkeson, who was still undergoing physical therapy for his badly broken left arm, was in attendance, along with Judy Van Zant, Teresa Gaines, JoJo Billingsley, and Leslie Hawkins.
Ed King had to take a break from touring in 1996 due to heart complications that required a transplant. In his absence, he was replaced by Hughie Thomasson. The band did not let King rejoin after he recovered.
Wow. I learned a lot that I did not know, this day. Amazing how all these elements connect. I’m more versed in the Laurel Canyon crowd. I guess cuz I had family by marriage living there at one time, and ran into characters from there in nyc.
As a sidenote, I’m beginning to agree with George Carlin. As I recall, he suggested that nobody be allowed to publish any more new music. Just impound all music collections, from everyone, start selling albums and cd’s Beginning from 1950 only. Then release all the music from the next year, and so on. Maybe stop after Amy Winehouse, and start over again. Lame music is bad for the brains, imo.
Thank you for sharing, Jim. He is one to remember.