Larry Junstrom

Lore & Background

Junstrom was born in Pittsburgh and moved to Jacksonville, Florida at age 10. He began on saxophone and clarinet in school, but after watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show he turned to guitar. His first guitar was a Silvertone, and he was drawn to bass parts, playing them on the lower strings. He modified the guitar into a bass by attaching a piece of balsa wood to the neck and bridge. In high school he befriended Ronnie Van Zant and was recruited as bassist for what became Lynyrd Skynyrd, playing from the band's formation in 1964 through its early years. He left in 1971, before the group's debut album. In 1977 he joined .38 Special, formed by Ronnie's younger brother Donnie Van Zant, and remained with the band until retiring in 2014 due to a hand injury requiring surgery.

Reader's Guide

Junstrom's significance lies in his dual role in two major southern rock acts. As a founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, he was part of the band's formative years in Jacksonville and on regional tours, though he departed before the group achieved national fame. His longer tenure with .38 Special spanned 37 years, making him a consistent presence in the band's sound and live performances. Outside music, he was an avid amateur radio operator, licensed in 1962, with the call sign K4EB, which he interpreted as 'Known 4 Excellent Bass.' He became very active on the air from 1990 onward. His retirement in 2014 came after a hand injury that required surgery, ending a career that connected two iconic southern rock lineages.

Did You Know?

• Junstrom modified his first Silvertone guitar into a bass using a piece of balsa wood on the neck and bridge.
• He left Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1971, before the band's debut album was released in 1973.
• His amateur radio call sign K4EB was read by him as 'Known 4 Excellent Bass.'
• He was married to his wife Thania for 11 years at the time of his death.