Kerry Ray King, born June 3, 1964, is an influential American guitarist and songwriter best known for co-founding the legendary thrash metal band Slayer in 1981 with Jeff Hanneman. As one of the band's core members alongside Tom Araya, he contributed to Slayer's iconic sound throughout their four-decade career, excluding a brief hiatus from 2019 to 2024. King began his solo career with the release of his debut album From Hell I Rise in May 2024.