Audley Freed is a guitarist. He started his professional career on the Southeastern club and fraternity circuit. He then formed the band Cry of Love, which was signed to Columbia Records and released the debut album Brother. The album spawned two No. 1 and two Top Ten AOR hits, including “Peace Pipe”, named by Billboard as one of the “top 50 AOR songs of all time”. Following a second Columbia release, Diamonds and Debris, and another Freed-penned AOR hit, the band called it quits.

Soon after, Freed joined The Black Crowes on lead guitar. His tenure in the Crowes included tours in the U.S., Asia, and Europe, recording the album Lions, and sharing the stage with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in a collaboration that led to the gold-record-certified Page–Crowes Live at the Greek album.