Dick Dale, 'King of the Surf Guitar' Passes Away at 82

[Dennis Donovan]

http://californiarocker.com/2019/03/17/rip-dick-dale-king-of-the-surf-guitar-passes-away-at-82/?fbclid=IwAR3Volm2u6LTc7TPz6Wr7xYS9Hel1UTAmPrl1Sam308dovQwkMpIJW7SgLQ



Dick Dale, known as “King of The Surf Guitar,” has passed away, sources said on Sunday.

Dale, who had been quietly suffering health issues for many years, was considered a leader in the surf guitar genre. Dale was 82.

Born Richard Anthony Monsour, his famous songs, like “Miserlou,” and many others have become part of the American music fabric.

<snip>

He performed up until the very end and once told CaliforniaRocker.com that performing was what was keeping him alive.

“They say ‘Why don’t you retire, Dick?’” Dale said. “Well, there are two reasons I don’t retire: Playing music keeps me alive, and my music helps others.”

[Cartoonist]

1. Farewell, Master

I'm glad I saw you perform.

[Codeine]

2. He continued to perform even when gravely ill.

Despite his fame he had financial issues and high health care expenses that necessitated staying on-stage despite a raft of illnesses and embarrassing medical conditions.

[Recursion]

13. Unfortunately it's a little more complicated than that

He was on Medicare, they wouldn't pay for the experimental kidney treatment he wanted and kept trying to put him on dialysis, which he refused. So he kept leaving hospitals against medical advice to keep touring.

[Codeine]

19. That's even sadder.

I guess I got a sanitized version of the story.

[Dennis Donovan]

20. Jesus. $ should never dictates who lives and dies...

I wish he could've gotten donations - think of how many have been influenced by his playing, that would gladly chip in to help him out.

[Recursion]

21. OTOH dialysis is proven to work, and what he wanted hasn't been (nt)

[Wounded Bear]

3. RIP

[tonedevil]

4. You will never hear Surf Music again.

[Nitram]

5. This one has a strong Mid-Eastern vibe.

[Recursion]

15. It's a scale for the oud; he watched his uncle playing it and transcribed it for guitar (nt)

[NBachers]

6. Aaaahh, jeez- some are at the top; some are way above that, in a class by themselves.

[Recursion]

14. No predecessors and few followers

An absolute luminary

[Quemado]

7. Guitar legend

[Tikki]

8. Oooohhh nnnooo...he was such an inspiration to guitar players...

and bass guitar players and drummers and just music lovers everywhere.
Tikki

[littlemissmartypants]

9. ...

[edhopper]

10. Saw him several times in his later years

wonderful performer. He will be missed.

[CaptainTruth]

11. Damn... RIP Dick, ride that wave to the other side.

[malaise]

12. One of his great quotes

You know, music is sex. It's a sensual driving mode that affects people if it's played a certain way. Dick Dale

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/dick_dale_245924

[SHRED]

23. He did like his sex parties

He also had pet lions at his Newport Beach home.

[malaise]

24. LOL - here's a great tribute

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/17/dick-dale-dies-aged-81-misirlou-pulp-fiction

His fifth single, 1961’s Let’s Go Trippin’, is considered the first surf rock instrumental and has been credited with launching the early 1960s craze. The Beach Boys’ “vocal” surf pioneered the sound’s second wave.

Dale once claimed that Frank Sinatra had offered to manage him, but he turned him down because the singer wanted a 90% cut of his earnings.

At the turn of the 60s, Dale was pivotal in the development of the Fender Stratocaster guitar. “Everything that came out of Leo Fender’s head, I was his test pilot,” Dale told the Miami New Times in 2011. “He used to say: ‘When it can withstand the barrage of punishment from Dick Dale, then it is fit for the human consumption.’ So I blew up over 50 amplifiers. And that’s why they call me the Father of Heavy Metal.”

[CaptainTruth]

16. If you like surf rock, check out The Mermen, they have a bunch of songs on YouTube.

I used to work with their bass player, they were all great guys.

Not sure if he's still doing it but at one point their guitarist had all 3 pickups going to separate jacks, 3 guitar cables, driving 3 different rigs of effects & amps. He could make some (sea)monster noise.

[SunSeeker]

17. Such a huge part of the California sound and inspired so many groups.

[denbot]

18. R.I.P. to the King of surf rock.

There was only one.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

22. I actually had listened to the Pulp Fiction soundtrack before I ever saw the movie.

And that soundtrack, and perhaps most importantly the opening track Misirlou by Dale, was actually what convinced me to watch the movie.

And when I saw the movie, the song just felt perfect.