Ed King was an American musician best known as the guitarist and bassist for rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Ed King net worth is estimated to be $10 million at the time of his death.
Edward Calhoun King was born on September 14, 1949 in Glendale, California. He found the psychedelic rock band “Strawberry Alarm Clock” in the mid 1960s. The band released their debut studio album “Incense and Peppermints” in 1967 which reached 11 on the US Charts. The single “Incense and peppermints” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ed met the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd in early 1968 but he joined the rock band in 1972 after their bass Leon Wikleson left the band briefly. His guitar playing and songwriting skills were key to the band’s first three albums. Some of the popular songs written by Ed King were Sweet Home Alabama, Poison Whiskey, Saturday Night Special, Whiskey Rock-a-Roller and Working’ for MCA.
In 1975, he decided to leave the band and was replaced by Steve Gaines. But Unfortunately, Steve Gaines, his sister Cassie Gaines and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was killed in a plane crash in 1977.
In 1987, he played the major role in reuniting the band. He played guitar and bass with the band once again from 1987 to 1995. In 1996, he was forced to leave the band due to congestive heart failure. In 2006, King and other members of Lynyrd Skynyrd were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Ed King had a successful heart transplant in 2011. On August 22, 2018 at the age of 68 in Nashville, he died after battling cancer for a number of months.