Seminal rock guitarist Link Wray was born 63 years ago today in North
Carolina. In his 1958 instrumental hit "Rumble," Wray invented the power
chord, the basis of modern rock guitar-playing from thrash to heavy metal.
He is the missing link in
the history of rock guitar in that he is not
often given credit for being the
connection between early blues guitarists and the late '60s gods
(Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, etc.).
Wray began his career in the early '50s as a member of Lucky Wray and the
Palomino Ranch Hands, a band that he formed with his brothers Vernon and
Doug. They moved from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., where they
recorded an EP. Soon after, Wray began concentrating on guitar, since an
earlier bout with tuberculosis began to make singing increasingly
difficult. He then
developed his guitar style: a slow drag across distorted strings in a
simple chord progression. This led to his recording of "Rumble," which
cracked the U.S. top 20, despite being banned by some radio stations
because its title connoted gang violence. The Wrays then signed to Epic
Records after disagreeing with their original label, Cadence, which
wanted to tone down the tough image they began to have from "Rumble." The
Wrays' next single, the pounding "Rawhide," went to #23 and was a hit
among leather-jacketed, motorcycle-loving male youths. Link Wray was
becoming the hero of juvenile delinquents and this scared record
companies, who forced him to record non-rock songs such as "Danny Boy"
with orchestras. The Wrays tried forming their own record company,
Rumble Records, which produced their next big hit, "Jack The Ripper."
The song was later used in the '80s remake of the film "Breathless,"
starring Richard Gere. The company was short-lived and the Wrays found
themselves at U.K.-based Swan Records, where they were given free rein
to create what they wanted. What followed was a decade of improvised,
guitar-heavy records issued under strange names such as the Moon Men and
the Spiders. The '70s were filled with ups and downs for Link Wray. In
1971, his self-titled solo album was critically lauded but didn't sell, and
none of his other releases made a splash. He spent some time backing
Robert Gordon -- the singer for New York punkers the Tuff Darts -- on a
rockabilly project and also recorded several albums in the '80s that relied
heavily on drum machines. He attracted attention with rare live
appearances in which he proved that he could still wow 'em with the guitar
style he pioneered. Link Wray most recently toured last fall in the
U.S., with opening act Dieselhed, in support of his 1997 release,
Shadowman. Wray lives with his wife on a Danish island.
Other birthdays: John Leon Gardner (Mothers of Invention), 65; Engelbert
Humperdinck, 62; Robert Henrit (Argent), 54; Goldy McJohn (Steppenwolf),
53; Randy Cain (Delphonics), 53; Prescott Niles (the Knack), 44; and Jo
Callis (ex-Human League), 43.
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