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Kenny Edwards passed away August 18 at the age of 64. While he enjoyed a successful 45 year career, he never quite grabbed the commercial brass ring himself.
During 1964 he joined together with Bobby Kimmel and a young Linda Ronstadt to form the Stone Poneys. They produced three studio albums and the top twenty single hit “Different Drum.” Ronstadt quickly emerged as the center piece and Edwards left the band during 1968. The group would dissolve a year later and Ronstadt would go on to a memorable career.
Edwards would next form Bryndle during 1970 with Andrew Gold, Wendy Waldman, and Karla Bonoff. Their album, however, would be rejected by the A&M label. It would not be until their reunion in 1995 that the album would finally be released.
Edwards spent over a decade as part of Ronstadt’s backing band and would also produce several albums by Bonoff. He was always in demand as a session guitarist, working with such artists as Emmylou Harris, Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Brian Wilson, Art Garfunkel, and Warren Zevon.
He recently released his first solo albums. Kenny Edwards was issued during 2002 and Ressurrection Road in 2009. He continued to perform and support Bonoff until his death from cancer.
So tonight I’ll give “Different Drum” a spin as a fitting remembrance to an accomplished guitarist, performer, arranger, and producer.
