He would have turned 89 today -- Link Wray, born on this day in 1929

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Link Wray

Website www.linkwray.com

Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray, Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was a Native American Shawnee rock and roll guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s.

Building on the distorted electric guitar sound of early records, his 1958 instrumental hit "Rumble" by Link Wray & His Ray Men popularized "the power chord, the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists", facilitating the emergence of "punk and heavy rock". Rolling Stone placed Wray at No. 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. In 2013 and 2017 he was a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Though he began in country music, his musical style went on to consist primarily of rock and roll, rockabilly, and instrumental rock.

Link Wray - Rumble

JEFF GREEN
1 year ago

Link Wray's all-time great instrumental "Rumble" (1958) An influence on many guitarists, including me!This scene is amazingly...from a Jerry Lewis movie! "The Delicate Delinquent" (1957) Included in the cast, Darren McGavin (old man Parker in "Christmas Story" 1983) and undefeated heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano.The bass knuckles hoodlum in the black leather jacket, and with the curl hanging over is face,is Richard Bakalyan. He made a Hollywood career playing bad guys in movie, after movie.The law finally caught up with him in "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965)He gets nailed to the cross, as the "good thief", next to Jesus.

I've always preferred this to "Rumble":

Let's watch as Dick Clark turns a generation of America's youths into juvenile delinquents:

This is too good not to include:

[Ohiogal]

1. Yep!

And his recording "Rumble" was just inducted into the new "Single Recordings" category at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony recently. This recording has been an influence on the guitar stylings of Jimmy Page, Neil Young, and many other prominent rock guitartists.

And .... he's Native American.