If you came up in Austin, you knew the King. Crown on his head, shades on, a beat-up bass slung low outside Jazz on Sixth Street. Gerry Van King — the King of Sixth Street. He was a staple of our younger years, and he brought us joy.

Gerry Van King on Sixth Street — a photo I took in March 2014.

Years later I found out he'd been the roommate of a guy I worked with, and we got a little obsessed with the man behind the crown and the bass. Turns out the legend on the corner was just a guy who loved to play. Somehow that made me love him more.

He passed on May 26, 2026, at 72. His family is burying him with the crown. Rest in peace, King.