Ed King has passed away...the LPF's tribute to a legend.

[renderit]

Man! That is some tuff news. He seemed wonderful and very friendly. I will miss his posts.

 

[Doc Sausage]

Just got the news. Nooo! Was I not just reading about a new guitar acquisition mere months ago? RIP, Ed. :dang

 

[Black58]

Yeah. Life turns on a dime, brothers and sisters. .. Make every moment count. :yah

 

[tdarian]

RIP Ed. Thanks Charlie for sharing the eulogy with us, nicely written. Condolences to those who were close.

 

[Tom Wittrock]

I was fortunate enough to talk to Ed at one of the Texas shows. Just a couple of guitar geeks sharing our passion.

Thanks CD and fly high Ed! :yah

:rip

 

[T.Allen]

I just don't have any words...

RIP Ed King.

 

[Tim]

So sorry to friends and family. Very nice Charlie.

 

[KR1]

Tailwinds, Dear Ed King > :salude

 

[Zowenso]

I’m embarrassed to say that I only became aware of Ed King in the last year or so through social media videos. Since then I watched and searched for as many videos as I could with Ed. After every video or interview I watched, I felt like I got to know him more and more, almost like we were friends. I know that sounds weird, but he just had this really inviting personality, like he would talk to and be polite to anyone and from what I’ve read, that would be true. I’m super bummed to hear about his passing. Rest easy, Ed King. You will be missed.

 

[E.M.]

Thanks for the eulogy, Charles. Sad news.

 

[Doc Sausage]

Charlie, that was a beautiful, fitting and heartfelt eulogy to be sure. I would like to offer up one from us mere mortals who only lived vicariously through our rock and roll heroes’ lives. But never actually had the pleasure to meet them.

As the sometimes ubiquitous Kid Rock exclaimed while piggybacking of the masters themselves, “Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow, Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long.” What some of these artists and their songs meant to us impressionable kids in the 1970’s can hardly be articulated in a few paragraphs. But I shall try, never the less.

Growing up in southern Ohio – a regular stop on the southern rock band circuit - even before the phrase had been coined, I lived and breathed these incarnations of rock bands. When Lynyrd Skynyrd came along, it resonated with my country roots. Yes, I know southern Ohio may not seem country, but a lot of us had kin in Kentucky, etc., and still do. It’s funny, no less than TWICE in the last week, I have put, “Am I Losing” on my cell phone. Those who know the song, off of “Nuttin’ Fancy”, will recall the ‘Sweet Home’ refrain towards the end of the song. I gotta believe that was Ed doing his thing.

To be sitting in your room – yeah, at my parents’ house, and listening to an LP like this as a 19 year old kid who ‘tried’ to play a little guitar, these people on this (and other) pieces of vinyl were nothing less than Gods. Forces from a planet of talent and creativity that didn’t exist in, well, southern Ohio. At least in my circles. While most fans tend to gravitate to the singer and lyrical content, us fledgling guitarists were glued to his riffs. These were seemingly impossible variables of simple, D, C, G chords that sounded other worldly when recorded back then by the likes of Ed King and his ilk. Ed, whether he realized it or not, pulled from that magic catalog of guitar chords and phrases that captivated us all. You players know as well as I do that those three chords were easy enough to play but…it was quite another thing to play them like Ed did on Sweet Home Alabama.

So while it is my sincere hope that Mr. King went on to live a relatively happy and healthy life beyond what he created with his early bands like, Strawberry Alarm Clock and of course, Skynyrd , I hope he took with him a mere modicum of the joy and pleasure like his life’s work brought to most of us – fans of the music that has come to define not only a generation, but becoming more apparent with each passing year, some of the best and most enduring music of the 20th AND 21st centuries. My musical life would simply not be the same had Mr. King not shared the planet during the same time I walked this earth. May you forever grace the universe with your love, music and talent, Ed King. Rest in Peace.

 

[stevechilders]

To a life well lived, RIP Mr. King :salude

 

[zoso714]

The past few years I have turned into a lurker here more than anything else I guess. This made me want to post.
Thank you C.D. Many Blessings to friends and family and my sympathy to those who knew and loved Mr. King most.

 

[KS 5150]

That is very sad news....R.I.P. Ed.

 

[Ken Fortunato]

R.I.P. Ed... Thanks for the music and the memories... :salude

Charlie, That was a beautiful eulogy...

 

[akstrat61]

Sad news for sure! He will be missed by many!

 

[El Gringo]

R.I.P. Ed . Thank you Charlie for the eloquent eulogy , and Thank you Charlie for sharing so many stories ,photos and videos of Ed .

 

[Fried okra]

Well written Charlie and very moving, thanks for sharing. Ed and I spoke many times over the years and had planned a visit, but timing was always the problem. I was suppose to visit Ed while my wife and I were in Nashville this past weekend, but due to Ed's failing health, Sharon said it wasn't a good time. It really bothers me since he had asked me to come up earlier this year so he could put his blessing on the Kossoff burst. :dang RIP Mr King. See you at the great gig in the sky. :salude

This is the Press release written by Ed's friend Scott.

 

[marfen]

Very sad news … condolences to all family and friends . I was always so impressed Ed shared his talents and knowledge to the LPF. We can all go back to his video of how to correctly play the solo to SHA...but then there will ever by only one guy who did it right...

 

[mistersnappy]

To be sitting in your room – yeah, at my parents’ house, and listening to an LP like this as a 19 year old kid who ‘tried’ to play a little guitar, these people on this (and other) pieces of vinyl were nothing less than Gods. Forces from a planet of talent and creativity that didn’t exist in, well, southern Ohio. At least in my circles. While most fans tend to gravitate to the singer and lyrical content, us fledgling guitarists were glued to his riffs. These were seemingly impossible variables of simple, D, C, G chords that sounded other worldly when recorded back then by the likes of Ed King and his ilk. Ed, whether he realized it or not, pulled from that magic catalog of guitar chords and phrases that captivated us all. You players know as well as I do that those three chords were easy enough to play but…it was quite another thing to play them like Ed did on Sweet Home Alabama.

May you forever grace the universe with your love, music and talent, Ed King. Rest in Peace.

I had a ritual as a teen where I would put on Second Helping whenever I changed strings. Ed was gracious enough to answer my question here once years ago about who played what parts on Swamp Music! :dude: