Link Wray

[pasta]

Legend Link Wray passed away, details are sketchy at best. Thanks for all the music, Link.

[7/4]

Legend Link Wray passed away, details are sketchy at best. Thanks for all the music, Link. 

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It's a rumor right now. I did a Google news search and couldn't find anything.

[rostasi]

Legend Link Wray passed away, details are sketchy at best. Thanks for all the music, Link. 

←

Link link link

No real reason to not believe this, it's just a shame that it's being reported overseas and not here in the US.

[pasta]

Agreed, but there's this:

http://www.garagepunk.com/forums/viewtopic...=asc&highlight=

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_Wray

man, i remember when elvin jones' passing was rumor too...........damn it.

[SEK]

Link Wray is one of many musicians whose pervasive influence has not usually earned for him wealth or renown. He probably won't be missed by many, but much music would be different had he never lived.

His "Jack The Ripper" and "Big City After Dark" are my personal favorites.

[RDK]

Damn...

[7/4]

POWER CHORD LEGEND WRAY DIES

21.11.2005. 11:28:40

Guitar player Link Wray, who invented the power chord, the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists, has died aged 76.

A native of Dunn, North Carolina, Wray's style is considered the

blueprint for heavy metal and punk music.

Wray's is best known for his 1958 instrumental Rumble, 1959's

Rawhide and 1963's Jack the Ripper. His music has appeared in

movies such as Pulp Fiction, Independence Day and Desperado.

His style is said to have inspired many other rock musicians,

including Pete Townsend of the Who, but also David Bowie, Bob

Dylan, Steve Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen have been quoted as

saying that Wray and Rumble inspired them to become musicians.

"He is the king; if it hadn't been for Link Wray and Rumble, I

would have never picked up a guitar'," Townsend wrote on one of

Wray's albums. Neil Young once said: "If I could go back in time

and see any band, it would be Link Wray and the Raymen."

According to Wray's official website, he invented the fuzz tone

by deliberately punching holes in his amplifier speakers.

In 2002, the Guitar World magazine elected Wray one of the 100

greatest guitarists of all time.

Wray, known for his trademark black leather jacket, toured the

United States and Canada from 1997 to 2002. He was half Shawnee

Indian.

The date of Wray's death was not known. He lived in Copenhagen.

Denmark's Politiken newspaper said his funeral had already taken

place in Copenhagen's Christian Church. No dates were given.

His family could not be reached for comments. His official site

does not mention his death.

Wray is survived by his wife and son.

SOURCE: World News

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

I glommed onto his 'Bullshot' Lp when it first came out...just loved it (still do). Used to play "Switchblade" on my college radio show down NC about every other week & use it as background on station promos and PSAs. Too bad he's gone.

[AllenLowe]

I love Link Wray, though the thing about being the first to get "fuzz" is over stated - about 10 different guitarists going back to the 1950s have stories about holes in speakers, dropped amps etc - truth is, there is classic guitar distortion on a recording as early as 1945, made by the guitarist Junior Bernard with Bob Wills's band (and Bernard was likely a pioneer in this respect, though it is also very possible that he heard others doing this first - but no way of knowing) - my favorite Link is the 1960-1966 period; on a Sundazed collection there is a version of Ain't That Lovin You Baby (my favorite Jimmy Reed song) in which he sounds strangely like Howlin Wolf -

Edited November 21, 2005 by AllenLowe

[BruceH]

To be honest, I'm kind of cheered by the fact that he lived so long. He's one of those figures that I vaguely suspected of having already passed away some years ago. Will have to dig out and dust off my Charley compilation of his stuff. RIP Link.

Edited November 21, 2005 by BruceH

[pasta]

Link Wray

Native-American Rock Guitar Instrumentalist has died, 76 years of age.

It is with the deepest sorrow that we have to inform Links dear fans that our beloved husband and father Link Wray has deceased November 5. 2005

In respect of Links wishes, he was buried in silence and privacy from the historic protestant Church: Christians Church in Copenhagen Denmark, Friday 18th of November 2005. with attendance of his family Olive and Oliver Wray.

Link passed away in their arms, safely in his home in Copenhagen, not ever aware that his heart was getting tired. This was the way he had told us, he wanted it.

Born May 2nd, 1929 in Dunn, North Carolina, Link is three quarters Shawnee Indian. At the age of eight, he learned to play the guitar from Hambone, an african-american man who was travelling with Barnum and Bailey’s circus. He noticed Link on the porch banging his Maybelle-guitar.

At the age of fifteen, Link paid twenty dollars a night to sit in with the country and western musician Tex Ritter (High Noon) in order to further his musical knowledge. He also played with Wild Bill Elliot.

Link played with his brother Doug and first cousin Shorty Horton in his band: Link Wray and the Wraymen.

He played at the Hank Williams memorial in 1953.

Link is known for his instrumental hit single Rumble. And to quote Uncut magazine, who voted Link #33 of the 100 best guitarist list in the World as the composer of the worlds most threatening instrumental: “The violent intimations of Rumble so struck sensitive late 50s sensibilities that it was banned by many radio stations. Not bad for an instrumental. Rumble will outlive us all”.

Link Wray is known for being the first musician to experiment with the sounds that pioneered rock and roll and punk styles. Link virtually invented fuzz tone by deliberately punching holes in his amplifier speakers. He was also a true pioneer of the use of distortion on instrumental rock recordings.

In the spring of ’58, Rumble was released and quickly rocketed to the top 20. Voted the #1 Rock Instrumental of all time by the Book Of Rock Lists (Dell/Rolling Stone Press)

It was a 4 million seller.

Again in 1959 his single hit Rawhide sold 1 million.

Link himself was influenced by, and admired guitarists like: Tal Farlow, Chet Atkins, Django Reinhard, Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, Frank Zappa and artists like Elvis Presley & Hank Williams.

Off today’s musicians he admired: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, David Gilmour, David Bowie, and Bruce Springsteen among others.

Link was a musician’s musician:

Elvis Presley invited him home in the 50s.

Bowie, Dylan, Van Zandt and Springsteen attended Links concerts since their early youth.

John Lennon carried Links music on his travel jukebox.

Jerry Garcia played on Links record in the 70s.

Pete Townsend wrote liner notes.

In the mid 70s Link was recording in England with Richard Branson at his Virgin Records.

2004 presidential candidate John Kerry’s college band album featuring the senator as bassist was re-released to the public featuring a version of Rawhide.

Link’s original sound is timeless, as evidenced by the inclusion of many of his guitar instrumentals in some of the best motion pictures of the last decade. Some of these releases include:

Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino)

Desperado, (Robert Rodriguez) as well as in Road Racers (Robert Rodriguez)

Independence Day, (Steven Spielberg)

Confessions of A Dangerous Mind,

Breathless,

12 Monkey’s & Blow.

The legendary film composer/writer/arranger Jack Nitzsche released a big band recording of Rumble complete with a full horn section.

Sadly Link was cheated out of his 50s music-rights, although he never signed them over to anyone.

Link was always laughing about it though, because he knew and always told us that anyone could hear it was his sound.

Link fell in love with Olive Julie Povlsen, a Danish student of Native American culture, in 1979 and has been living privately in Denmark since 1980 with her, and their son Oliver Christian Wray, born in 1983. Link appointed Olive manager in 1981.

Until that day he had been managing himself. From the late 90s she has also played percussion with him on tour.

Link’s impact has been felt throughout almost every genre of music for the last five decades. His original sound influenced future styles like: Country, Instrumental music, Rockabilly, Rock and Roll, Surf, Heavy Metal, Punk, Grunge, Garage, Lounge etc.

Since the mid nineties, Link and Olive has toured all over the US, playing for audiences aged 18 and up. Although some of the youngest fans weren’t completely familiar with many of his earliest hits, they remained strongly drawn to his devotion, love of music and true original sound.

Link toured to the very last.

This year he toured America playing 40 concerts. The two last festivals of his tour were in California in July: Hootenanny & Glendale Cruise Night, Link headlined both.

Link Wray has to this day respected and had nothing but devotion towards his fans. While playing his guitar he often told the audience: “..God is playing my guitar, I am with God when I play”.

We saw you go with God, you were smiling.

You will forever be in our hearts.

Olive & Oliver Christian Wray

[Sundog]

I used to play in rock/blues cover band with a guy that was a hugh Link Wray fan. He insisted on playing "Rumble" every time we gigged. We always played it towards the end of the gig because his gonzo, over the top version was 100% guaranteed to clear the room! I think Mr. Wray would have loved it. RIP Link.

[chris olivarez]

His "heart got tired" I guess that's as good a way of putting it as any. Link is one of those people who will forever be at the "heart" of American music. RIP.