CowPunk
11-21-2005, 11:56 AM
Although I'd been playing for a while before I heard Link, he still heavily impacted my style anyhow. U2's The Edge should be paying his widow royalties. :)
I saw him a few years ago, & even at age 70, he still rocked.
Copenhagen: The guitarist Link Wray, who invented the power chord, inspiring generations of heavy metal and punk guitarists, has died at the age of 76.
Armed with a 1953 Gibson Les Paul, an Elvis sneer and a black leather jacket, Wray released what would become his signature tune, a primitive instrumental called Rumble, in 1958.
The idea for the song came to him after a fight broke out in the audience at one of his concerts. Wray recorded it with his brother Doug on drums and cousin Shorty Horton on stand-up bass.
It reached number 16 in spite of being banned by many radio stations because its suggestive title was thought to promote teenage gang violence.
The following year Wray released Rawhide, later covered by the Ventures. His next big hit came in 1963 with Jack the Ripper.
His instrumentals have appeared in movies such as Pulp Fiction, Independence Day, 12 Monkeys, Blow and Desperado.
His style and attitude is said to have inspired many rock musicians, including David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Steve Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen and the Who's Pete Townshend.
"He is the king; if it hadn't been for Link Wray and Rumble, I would have never picked up a guitar," Townshend wrote in liner notes for one of Wray's albums.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/guitarist-with-the-power-dies-at-76/2005/11/21/1132421595588.html
I saw him a few years ago, & even at age 70, he still rocked.
Copenhagen: The guitarist Link Wray, who invented the power chord, inspiring generations of heavy metal and punk guitarists, has died at the age of 76.
Armed with a 1953 Gibson Les Paul, an Elvis sneer and a black leather jacket, Wray released what would become his signature tune, a primitive instrumental called Rumble, in 1958.
The idea for the song came to him after a fight broke out in the audience at one of his concerts. Wray recorded it with his brother Doug on drums and cousin Shorty Horton on stand-up bass.
It reached number 16 in spite of being banned by many radio stations because its suggestive title was thought to promote teenage gang violence.
The following year Wray released Rawhide, later covered by the Ventures. His next big hit came in 1963 with Jack the Ripper.
His instrumentals have appeared in movies such as Pulp Fiction, Independence Day, 12 Monkeys, Blow and Desperado.
His style and attitude is said to have inspired many rock musicians, including David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Steve Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen and the Who's Pete Townshend.
"He is the king; if it hadn't been for Link Wray and Rumble, I would have never picked up a guitar," Townshend wrote in liner notes for one of Wray's albums.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/guitarist-with-the-power-dies-at-76/2005/11/21/1132421595588.html