Rock'n'roll pioneer Link Wray dead
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 5:44 amSad news. "Rumble" is a must for any rock & roll collection. He's credited as being the godfather of the power chord.
Rock'n'roll pioneer Link Wray dead at 76
Tue Nov 22,12:30 PM ET
COPENHAGEN (AFP) - Link Wray, the legendary US guitarist who was a pioneering if often under-appreciated figure in rock'n'roll, has died aged 76 at his home in Copenhagen, according to his official website.
Wray, who had lived in the city since 1980 after marrying a Danish woman, was once named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
He died on November 5 and a private funeral was held for him on November 18 at the Christians Kirke in Copenhagen, the website said.
Originally a rockabilly musician, Wray was best known for his early experiments in feedback and distortion, in particular on his major hit, the 1958 instrumental classic "Rumble".
The track was banned by several radio stations after it was perceived as inciting violence -- quite a feat for a song with no lyrics.
Wray was the first musician to experiment with sounds that would pave the way for the birth of rock'n'roll and punk, and was a source of inspiration for many musicians, including Pete Townshend of The Who.
In liner notes for a 1974 Wray album, Townshend is quoted as saying: "He is the king; if it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble', I would have never picked up a guitar."
Born Frederick Lincoln Wray Jr on May 2, 1929 in Dunn, North Carolina, to Shawnee Native American parents, Wray learned to play the slide guitar aged eight from a black player named Hambone who was travelling with the Barnum and Bailey circus.
With his black leather jacket, Wray developed a tough guy image and became an idol for rebellious American youth.
Wray's hit career was brief, and for decades his music was neglected, although interest was revived when his songs were featured in modern Hollywood films such as "Pulp Fiction" and "Independence Day".
He moved to Denmark in 1980 to live with a then-student, Olive Julie Povlsen. The couple had one child, Oliver Christian Wray, born in 1983.
Rock'n'roll pioneer Link Wray dead at 76
Tue Nov 22,12:30 PM ET
COPENHAGEN (AFP) - Link Wray, the legendary US guitarist who was a pioneering if often under-appreciated figure in rock'n'roll, has died aged 76 at his home in Copenhagen, according to his official website.
Wray, who had lived in the city since 1980 after marrying a Danish woman, was once named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
He died on November 5 and a private funeral was held for him on November 18 at the Christians Kirke in Copenhagen, the website said.
Originally a rockabilly musician, Wray was best known for his early experiments in feedback and distortion, in particular on his major hit, the 1958 instrumental classic "Rumble".
The track was banned by several radio stations after it was perceived as inciting violence -- quite a feat for a song with no lyrics.
Wray was the first musician to experiment with sounds that would pave the way for the birth of rock'n'roll and punk, and was a source of inspiration for many musicians, including Pete Townshend of The Who.
In liner notes for a 1974 Wray album, Townshend is quoted as saying: "He is the king; if it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble', I would have never picked up a guitar."
Born Frederick Lincoln Wray Jr on May 2, 1929 in Dunn, North Carolina, to Shawnee Native American parents, Wray learned to play the slide guitar aged eight from a black player named Hambone who was travelling with the Barnum and Bailey circus.
With his black leather jacket, Wray developed a tough guy image and became an idol for rebellious American youth.
Wray's hit career was brief, and for decades his music was neglected, although interest was revived when his songs were featured in modern Hollywood films such as "Pulp Fiction" and "Independence Day".
He moved to Denmark in 1980 to live with a then-student, Olive Julie Povlsen. The couple had one child, Oliver Christian Wray, born in 1983.