Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American rock and roll guitarist, composer and occasional singer. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African A guitarist is a Musician who plays the Guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance
Wray was noted for pioneering a new sound for electric guitars, as exemplified in his hit 1958 instrumental "Rumble", by Link Wray and his Ray Men, which pioneered an overdriven, distorted electric guitar sound, and was the first guitarist to use power chords to play a song's melody. Events January 28 - Little Richard begins attending classes at Oakwood College in Huntsville Alabama January An instrumental is a Musical composition or recording without Lyrics or any other sort of Vocal music; all of the Music is produced by " Rumble " is an influential rock Instrumental by Link Wray & His Ray Men. In Music, a power chord (also fifth chord) is a note plus the note a fifth above usually played on Electric guitar.
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Early life
Wray was born in Dunn, North Carolina to Lillie M. Dunn is a City in Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. Norris and Frederick ("Fred") Lincoln Wray. [1] It was there that Link first heard slide guitar at age eight from a traveling carnival worker, a black man named "Hambone". Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the Guitar. Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March Link and his family later moved to Norfolk, Virginia as his father got work in the Navy shipyards. Norfolk is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States Link served a hitch in the US Army and was a Korean War Veteran. In 1956, his family later moved to Washington, D.C., and from there, they moved to a farm in Accokeek, Maryland. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Accokeek is an Unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Link relocated to Arizona with his brother Vernon in the very early 1970s, and later moved to San Francisco in the mid 1970s.
Wray was a veteran of the Korean war, where he contracted tuberculosis that ultimately cost him a lung. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common His doctors told him that he would never sing again. So Link concentrated on his heavy guitar work. Despite this, on his rare vocal numbers he displays a strong voice and a range equivalent to Clarence "Frogman" Henry. Clarence "Frogman" Henry (born March 19 1937, Algiers New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American Rhythm and blues
Career
After discharge from the Army, Wray and his brothers Doug and Vernon Wray, with friends Shorty Horton and Dixie Neale, formed Lucky Wray and the Lazy Pine Wranglers, later known as Lucky Wray and the Palomino Ranch Hands. They had been playing country music and Western swing for several years when they took a gig as the house band on the daily live TV show Milt Grant's House Party, a Washington D.C. version of American Bandstand. Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. This article is about the Musical genre. For the popular western swing Steel guitar tuning see E9 tuning. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D American Bandstand was a Television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark The band made their first recordings in 1956 as Lucky Wray and the Palomino Ranch Hands for Starday Records. Starday Records was a Record label producing traditional Country music during the 1950s and 1960s.
"Rumble"
For the TV show, they also backed many performers, from Fats Domino to Ricky Nelson. " Rumble " is an influential rock Instrumental by Link Wray & His Ray Men. Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans Louisiana) is a classic R&B and Rock and roll Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson ( May 8, 1940 &ndash December 31, 1985) was an At a live gig in Fredericksburg, VA, attempting to work up a backing for The Diamonds' "The Stroll", they came up with the stately, powerful 12-bar blues instrumental "Rumble", which they originally called "Oddball". Fredericksburg is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is located 50 miles south of Washington D The Diamonds were a Canadian quartet of the 1950s and early 1960s who rose to prominence performing Cover versions of songs by black musicians The Stroll was a popular Line dance in the 1950s It was first performed to " C An instrumental is a Musical composition or recording without Lyrics or any other sort of Vocal music; all of the Music is produced by The song was an instant hit with the live audience, which demanded four repeats that night. Eventually the song came to the attention of record producer Archie Bleyer of Cadence Records, who hated it, particularly after Wray poked holes in his amplifier's speakers to make the recording sound more like the live version (see "Rocket 88" for Ike Turner's similar story). In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Archie Bleyer ( June 12, 1909 - March 20, 1989) was an American song arranger and bandleader. Cadence Records was an American Record company based in New York City. This article is about the song For the band by this name see Rocket 88 (band. Ike Wister Turner ( November 5 1931 &ndash December 12 2007) was an American Musician, Bandleader, However, Bleyer's stepdaughter loved it and it was released despite his protest. She was the one who suggested renaming the song "Rumble", because it reminded her of West Side Story. West Side Story is a musical by Arthur Laurents (book Leonard Bernstein (music and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics Rumble is slang for a "gang fight". Slang is the use of highly informal Words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's Dialect or Language.
The menacing sound of "Rumble" (and its title) led to a ban on several radio stations, a rare feat for a song with no lyrics, on the grounds that it glorified juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency refers to criminal acts performed by juveniles Most Legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles such as Nevertheless it became a huge hit, not only in the United States, but also Great Britain, where it has been cited as an influence on The Who, among others. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Pete Townshend stated in unpublished liner notes for the 1970 comeback album, "He is the king; if it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I would have never picked up a guitar. Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer, " In other liner notes in 1974, Townshend said, of "Rumble": "I remember being made very uneasy the first time I heard it, and yet excited by the savage guitar sounds. "
Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan, Neil Young and Bob Dylan have all cited Wray as an influence. Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck (born June 24, 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck in Wallington, England) is an English James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English singer songwriter and Guitarist Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major Mark E. Smith of The Fall sang the line "I used to have this thing about Link Wray, I used to play him every Saturday, God bless Saturday" in the song "Neighbourhood of Infinity" on the album Perverted by Language. Mark Edward Smith (born 5 March 1957) is the Lead singer, Lyricist, Frontman, and sole constant member of English The Fall are an English Post-punk band formed in Prestwich, Greater Manchester in 1976 Perverted by Language is a 1983 album by The Fall. It was the first Fall album to feature Brix Smith, then wife of Mark E He was named as one of the hundred greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, but still has not yet been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States He is, however, a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on March 21, 1997 to present early Rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities
Later career
The band had several more hard-rocking instrumental hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Rawhide", "Ace of Spades", and "Jack the Ripper", the latter named after a "dirty boogie" dance popular in Baltimore at the time. The dirty boogie dance was among the several dance crazes featured in the 1988 film Hairspray. Hairspray is a 1988 comedy written and directed by John Waters.
After his initial hits, Wray's career had periods of retirement followed by renewed popularity, particularly in Europe. He toured and recorded two albums with retro-rockabilly artist Robert Gordon in the late 1970s. Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of Rock and roll music and emerged in the early 1950s Robert Gordon (born March 29, 1947) is an American Rockabilly singer The 1980s to the present day saw a large number of reissues as well as new material. Inspired by the use of his songs in various feature films, the 1997 "Shadowman" album is generally regarded as the Rumble Man's return to his raw rock'n'roll roots. Backed by a Dutch band consisting of Eric Geevers on bass and Rob Louwers on drums, Wray toured Europe and Australia as well, documented on a live album and DVD. Link's last new recording was 2000s "Barbed Wire", again recorded with his Dutch rhythm section. He was generally accompanied on tour by his wife Olive Julie, and since the late nineties his "colorful" Irish born road manager John Tynan. John Tynan is an Irish-born American road manager who toured with numerous American bands during his career which spanned the 80s and 90s His regular backing band in the USA from 1998 until 2003 were bassist Atom Ellis and drummers Danny Heifetz (Mr. Atom Ellis, (born April 8, 1966) is a Bass guitarist from San Francisco California. Danny Heifetz (born 1964 in New York City) is an American musician now living in Sydney, Australia. Bungle, Dieselhed) and Dustin Donaldson (I Am Spoonbender, various). I Am Spoonbender is an American Multimedia group formed in San Francisco in early 1997 by Dustin Donaldson with Brian Jackson In terms of musical history, it should be noted that one member of his band in the '80s, on drums, was the great Anton Fig (famous as Paul Shaffer's drummer on the Letterman show for the past 26 years. ) He continued to tour up until four months before he died.
His music has been featured in numerous films, including Pulp Fiction, Desperado, Independence Day, Twelve Monkeys, This Boy's Life, Blow, Johnny Suede, The Shadow, Breathless, and Pink Flamingos, which is set in Baltimore. Desperado is a 1995 action thriller film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. Independence Day (also known by its promotional abbreviation ID4) is a 1996 Science fiction film about a hostile Alien invasion Twelve Monkeys is an Academy Award -nominated 1995 Science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam and written by David This Boy's Life was a film adaptation of the memoir of the same name by Tobias Wolff. Blow is a 2001 Drama / Biopic film about the American Cocaine Smuggler George Jung, directed by Breathless (French À bout de souffle; literally "out of breath" is a 1960 Film directed by Jean-Luc Godard ---- Pink Flamingos is a 1972 Comedy film directed by John Waters.
Native American ancestry
Part Shawnee Indian, Wray frequently spoke of his ancestry in performances and interviews. The Shawnee, or Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are a people native to North America. Three of the songs he performed bear the names of American Indian tribes: "Shawnee", "Apache", and "Comanche. " "Apache" was an instrumental composed by Jerry Lordan, which became a hit in the UK for The Shadows in 1960. Jerry Lordan (born 30 April 1934 — 24 July 1995) was a English Composer and Singer. The Shadows are an English instrumental and vocal Rock and roll group active from the 1950s to the 2000s Wray recorded one of the better covers of the song 30 years later, somehow finding new life in this mythic, minor-key, guitar/drum dialogue which by then was also associated with everyone from The Ventures to the Incredible Bongo Band. The Ventures are an American Instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. The Incredible Bongo Band, also known as Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band, was a project started in 1972 by Michael Viner, a record artist manager and executive
He moved to Denmark in the 1980s after meeting and marrying a Danish student, Olive, who had been studying Native American culture. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe He lived his last years with Olive on a Danish island, touring frequently. Link Wray died November 5, 2005 at his home in Copenhagen. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city He was 76. He was buried at the Christian Church Cemetery in the eastern Copenhagen suburb of Christianshavn on November 18, 2005. Christianshavn is one of the 15 administrative statistical and tax city districts ( bydele) comprising the municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
According to a note added by Deborah Wray on his Rockabilly Hall of Fame page, Link Wray was married four times and is survived by nine children: Fred Lincoln Wray III, Link Elvis Wray, Shayne Wray, Elizabeth (Beth) Wray Webb, Mona Kay Wray Tidwell, Bellinda Wray Muth, Rhonda Wray Sayen, and Charlotte Wray Glass. The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on March 21, 1997 to present early Rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities Print and online obituaries have only mentioned the wife and son he was living with at the time of his death, Olive and Oliver Christian Wray.
Wray was backed by members of the Seattle band Jet City Fix for the duration of his next to last tour. His very last tour was booked and managed by Marc Mencher of Action Packed Events. Link's drummer on that tour was Gary Weiss of the rockabilly band Vibro Champs and he was backed on bass by Kris Day current bassist. The Vibro Champs website also features photos and video of Link's last touring band.
Robert Ehrlich, the governor of Maryland, declared January 15 to be Link Wray Day. For the Entrepreneur and Businessman, see Robert Ehrlich. Robert Leroy "Bob" Ehrlich Jr Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign
On March 25, 2006 Link was honored by "The First Americans in the Arts" with the Life Time Achievement Award. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
On June 8, 2006, Link was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
Discography
Singles
| Release date | A-side | B-side | Label | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958/Mar. 31 | Rumble | The Swag | Cadence | 1347 |
| 1959/Jan. " Rumble " is an influential rock Instrumental by Link Wray & His Ray Men. 12 | Raw-Hide | Dixie-Doodle | Epic | 5-9300 |
| 1959/June 15 | Comanche | Lillian | Epic | 5-9321 |
| 1959/Oct. Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. | Slinky | Rendezvous | Epic | 5-9343 |
| 1959 | Vendetta (as Ray Vernon) | Roughshod | Scottie | NRS-3020 |
| 1960/Mar. 7 | Trail Of The Lonesome Pine | Golden Strings (Based On A Chopin Etude) | Epic | 5-9361 |
| 1960/October 24 | Ain't That Lovin' You Babe | Mary Ann | Epic | 5-9419 |
| 1961/July 31 | Jack The Ripper | The Stranger | Rumble | 1000 |
| 1961/August 21 | El Toro | Tijuana | Epic | 5-9454 |
| 1962/Mar. | Big City Stomp | Poppin' Popeye | Trans Atlas | M 687 |
| 1963/Mar. 16 | Rumble Mambo | Hambone | Okeh | 4-7166 |
| 1963/April 6 | The Black Widow | Jack The Ripper | Swan | S-4137 |
| 1963/September 21 | Week End | Turnpike U. Okeh Records began as an Independent record label based in the United States of America in Swan Records was a mid-20th century United States based Record label, founded in 1957, based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. S. A. | Swan | S-4154 |
| 1963/Dec. | Run Chicken Run | The Sweeper | Swan | S-4163 |
| 1964/Mar. | The Shadow Knows | My Alberta | Swan | S-4171 |
| 1964/Jul. | Deuces Wild | Summer Dream | Swan | S-4187 |
| 1965/February 13 | Good Rockin' Tonight | I'll Do Anything For You | Swan | S-4201 |
| 1965 | I'm Branded | Hang On | Swan | S-4211 |
| 1965 | Girl From The North Country | You Hurt Me So | Swan | S-4232 |
| 1965 | Ace Of Spades | The Fuzz | Swan | S-4239 |
| 1966 | The Batman Theme (with Bobby Howard) | Alone | Swan | S-4244 |
| 1966 | Ace Of Spades | Hidden Charms | Swan | S-4261 |
| 1967 | Let The Good Times Roll (with Kathy Lynn) | Soul Train | Swan | S-4273 |
| 1967 | Jack The Ripper | I'll Do Anything For You | Swan | S-4284 |
Albums
| Release date | Title | Label | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 US | Link Wray & The Raymen | Epic | LN 3661 |
| 1962 US | Great Guitar Hits by Link Wray | Vermillion | V-1924 |
| 1963 US | Jack The Ripper | Swan | S-LP 510 |
| 1964 US | Link Wray Sings And Plays Guitar | Vermillion | V-1925 |
| 1963/2006 | Link Wray Early Recordings | Rollercoaster/Ace | |
| 1971 US | Link Wray | Polydor | PD-24-4064 |
| 1971 US | Mordicai Jones (w/ Bobby Howard) | Polydor | PD-5010 |
| 1972 US | Be What You Want To | Polydor | PD-5047 |
| 1973 US | Beans and Fatback (rec. Link Wray is the self-titled 1971 album by pioneer Rock & Roll guitarist and Shawnee Indian Link Wray. Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Mordicai Jones is the 1971 album by pioneer Rock & Roll guitarist and Shawnee Indian Link Wray, with Bobby Howard a Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Beans and Fatback is the 1973 release by pioneer Rock & Roll guitarist and Shawnee Indian Link Wray. 1971) | Virgin | V-2006 |
| 1974 US | The Link Wray Rumble (rec. Virgin Records is a British Record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell February 1974) | Polydor | PD-6025 |
| 1975 US | Stuck in Gear | ||
| 1979 US | Bull Shot | ||
| 1979 US | Live at the Paradiso | ||
| 1990 UK | Apache | ||
| 1990 UK | Wild Side of the City Lights | ||
| 1993 DE | Indian Child | ||
| 1997 US | Shadowman | ||
| 1997 UK | Walking Down a Street Called Love - live | ||
| 2000 US | Barbed Wire |
Compilations
| Release date | Title | Label | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 US | Yesterday and Today | Record Factory | LP 1929 |
| 1993/May, 18 | Rumble! The Best of Link Wray | Rhino Records |
With Robert Gordon
| Release date | Title | Label | Number | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 UK | Robert Gordon w/ Link Wray | |||
| 1978 UK | Fresh Fish Special | Private Stock | PVLP 1038 |
Notes
External links
- Link Wray's Raymen Official Site
- WraysShack3Tracks.com
- Link Wray's entry at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
- Link Wray's Place
- Link Wray - Photo Gallery
- Best Link Wray Web Bio - by Jimmy McDonough
- In-depth Link Wray obituary that explains his importance in American music and culture from NewYorkNightTrain. Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. A Bloody Mary is a popular Cocktail containing Vodka, Tomato juice, and usually other Spices or flavorings such as Worcestershire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire (and frequently in dialect form spelled bob or bobbed) is a type of fencing Wire constructed Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty Record label and production company owned by Warner Music Group. Private Stock was a Record label which was started in 1974 by Larry Uttal after he was ousted from Bell Records. com
- All Music Guide
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