Kerry King
The architect of Slayer's sonic terror, his blistering, dissonant guitar work defined thrash metal's most aggressive frontier.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American guitarist·Birthday: June 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kerry King didn't just play guitar for Slayer; he weaponized it. Alongside Jeff Hanneman, he co-founded the band in 1981, channeling a love for punk's speed and heavy metal's might into a new, ferocious sound. King's visual identity—the beard, the spikes, the menacing glare—became synonymous with metal's extreme edge, but it was his musical contribution that was foundational. His songwriting, often drawing from horror and the darkest corners of reality, provided the lyrical framework, while his guitar solos were deliberately chaotic, rejecting melody for sheer, jarring aggression. This approach, heard on era-defining albums like 'Reign in Blood', created a template for extreme metal. Following Hanneman's death, King became the sole torchbearer of Slayer's musical identity, steering the band to its conclusion before launching a solo career that promises to extend his legacy of uncompromising sonic violence.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kerry was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kerry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Kerry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and co-performed on Slayer's seminal album 'Reign in Blood' (1986), a landmark of thrash metal.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Slayer in 2024.
- Served as Slayer's primary lyricist and co-lead songwriter for the majority of the band's career.
- Released his debut solo album, 'From Hell I Rise', in 2024 after Slayer's retirement.
Did You Know?
He is an avid collector of exotic animals, particularly reptiles and large snakes.
He worked as a draftsman for a furniture company before Slayer took off.
His signature guitar is a B.C. Rich Warlock, often with a graphic of a demonic goat's head.
He has a large collection of horror and sci-fi movie memorabilia.
“I'm not here to write love songs. I'm here to write the opposite of that.”
