Ken Hensley of Uriah Heep playing a cherry red Gibson EDS 1275

[IMMusicRulz]

Though probably not captured well by this photo, the front cover of Uriah Heep’s 1977 album Innocent Victim shows Ken Hensley (d. 2020) with a red Gibson EDS 1275. Ken did play a lot of guitar and keyboard in UH: he owned a white Gibson Les Paul with P90 pickups, and he also played a Gibson Flying V and an Ovation acoustic. This EDS 1275 looks to be an early seventies EDS 1275, when Norlin Gibson brought it back due to Jimmy Page using it in Led Zeppelin.

Whether this guitar was used frequently and what happened to it after Ken Hensley died is unknown, but I thought I’d share this cool photo!

 

[Sgt Pepper]

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Though probably not captured well by this photo, the front cover of Uriah Heep’s 1977 album Innocent Victim shows Ken Hensley (d. 2020) with a red Gibson EDS 1275. Ken did play a lot of guitar and keyboard in UH: he owned a white Gibson Les Paul with P90 pickups, and he also played a Gibson Flying V and an Ovation acoustic. This EDS 1275 looks to be an early seventies EDS 1275, when Norlin Gibson brought it back due to Jimmy Page using it in Led Zeppelin.

Whether this guitar was used frequently and what happened to it after Ken Hensley died is unknown, but I thought I’d share this cool photo!

I saw Uriah Heep in 1974 or 75 and they were very tight. Not all the arena bands were. The night I saw Black Sabbath they were not tight at all. In fact, they were pretty bad.

 

[Sgt Pepper]

I just noticed you're in Atlanta. I lived just west, in Carroll County. Back in the 70s the big headliners generally played The Omni. That's where I saw Uriah Heep. It was a full house, tickets were like $6, and they were very good.

The best place in Atlanta to hear music, though, was Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom, located across from The Fox Theatre, in what was before, and now is again the Georgian Terrace Hotel (it was always referred to as The Georgian Terrace Hotel, even when it wasn't that). Saw Rush and Kiss on their first southern tours there, among so many other new bands. They also booked a lot of the bands that were a little past their heyday, like Humble Pie, Canned Heat, etc. Generally about $3 at the door. Awesome venue.

 

[Bob Womack]

An example of Ken's slide work from "Paradise/The Spell" on the Demons and Wizards Album:


RIP Ken

Bob

 

[uriah1]

Yep. Loved the Heep. Saw many times early 70s. Their first tour with Long John Baldry opening.
Saw Mick Box in an incarnation of the Heep, Year before covid