Guitarist Link Wray RIP

Guitar master Link Wray, the father of the power chord in rock 'n' roll who inspired such legends as Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Pete Townshend, has died. He was 76.

Wray died November 5 at his home in Copenhagen, his wife and son said on his Web site. No cause of death was given, but his family said his heart was "getting tired." He was buried Friday after a service at Copenhagen's Christian Church.

"While playing his guitar he often told the audience, 'God is playing my guitar, I am with God when I play,'" his wife, Olive, and son, Oliver Christian, wrote. "We saw you go with God, you were smiling."

Wray, who played in his trademark leather jacket, developed a style considered the blueprint for heavy metal and punk music. He is best known for his 1958 instrumental "Rumble," 1959 "Rawhide" and 1963 "Jack The Ripper." His music has been featured in movies including "Pulp Fiction," "Independence Day" and "Desperado."

Wray, who was born in North Carolina and is three-quarters Shawnee Indian, is said to have inspired many other rock musicians, including Townshend of the Who, Springsteen, Bowie, Bob Dylan and Steve Van Zandt. All 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,'" Townshend 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."

The power chord ? a thundering sound created by playing fifths (two notes five notes apart, often with the lower note doubled an octave above) -- became a favorite among rock players. Wray claimed because he was too slow to be a whiz on the guitar, he had to invent sounds.

When recording "Rumble," he created the fuzz tone by punching holes in his amplifiers to produce a dark, grumbling sound. It took off instantly, but it was banned by some deejays in big cities for seeming to suggest teen violence.

"I was looking for something that Chet Atkins wasn't doing, that all the jazz kings wasn't doing, that all the country pickers wasn't doing. I was looking for my own sound," Wray told The Associated Press in 2002.

Find more at AP.

Comments

[rockontilludie]

there goes another legend, RIP.

[Cobain-iac_90]

The one guitar innovator just about every punk band should pay homage to. Rest in Peace, bro.

[Spade_SanosukeX]

RIP dude :[

[GraveSs]

RIP

[No Seatbelt]

...I've never listened to this guy before. I want to now.

[pigger]

darn! RIP

[Dr. Nixon]

let us all play his songs today in tribute

[GoodCharloteSux]

RIP rumble is one of the most influential songs of our time and most people dont know it but true musicians can see what Link Wray did for the guitar.

[raftonmike]

I saw him on T.V. once playing an old Gibson SG with a bigsby tremelo making it feedback that would impress Hendrix

[Neon Knight]

This is quite sad, but he was ready, it was his time, at least he died of natural causes.

[Mr_Die_Easy]

NO.....

[spazzymagee]

RIP Link, innovation is something rarely seen these days, RIP man

\m/

[istandalone]

R.I.P. keep on rockin'

[loyd]

we will rock your grave

RIP \m/

[ISuk@Guitar]

RIP... another legend down

[sum_english_guy]

dont know rly know who this dude was but i cant believe iv only just heard of him . bye bye to another ledgend

RIP

[928GTS]

Crap,we keep losing innovators left and right,this is not good. Rest in peace Link and we hope,wherever you are,that you're rocking out.

\m/

[cefasnacht]

RIP, we all take a back seat to you my man!

Wish there were more Link tabs out there than just "Rumble!"

[morello_man]

this guy sounds like a legend. rip.

[you-all-suck]

man this guy sucks he must of had no talent! he wasnt at all matched to the skills of limp bizkits wes boreland! man if he was more like dimebag or wes maybe somebody would actually know this faggot

[three.chords]

R.I.P. Link Wray

[Chestaufissen]

you-all-suck wrote:

man this guy sucks he must of had no talent! he wasnt at all matched to the skills of limp bizkits wes boreland! man if he was more like dimebag or wes maybe somebody would actually know this faggot

You STupid ****ing **** faced twat! You ****ing *******. You don't say dumb ****ing shit like that specially when your talking about a dead guy, even more when its a ****ing musician man if I knew who the **** you were I'd bitch slap the wrods out queefing mouth. R.I.P Link, never heard of ya' but you seem good. Wes Boarland sucks ass, the only one in LB that can play is Sam everyone else sucks shit out of each others ass.

[Chestaufissen]

"I'd bitch slap the words out of your queefing mouth" Fucking sasquatch!

[Scourge441]

man this guy sucks he must of had no talent! he wasnt at all matched to the skills of limp bizkits wes boreland! man if he was more like dimebag or wes maybe somebody would actually know this faggot

Link Wray is responsible for Dimebag and Wes.

I had no idea who did the song Rawhide. Now I know. I always loved that song when I was a little kid. RIP Link Wray.

Wes Boarland sucks ass, the only one in LB that can play is Sam everyone else sucks shit out of each others ass.

As much as I hate Limp Bizket, Wes Borland is by no means a bad guitarist.

[StratEnRegalia]

Aww, that sucks. R.I.P. dude.

So underrated.

[Johnsonville]

shit! no Wray was King too underrated

[primusfan]

WTF?!

Oh God ...

*listens to "Swag"*

RIP

[drunk guitarist]

****. RIP dude

[msierragtz]

I hate limp bizkit fans , anyway, Link Wray was a major rock and roll pioneer, so RIP.

[Constantine]

R.I.P
\m/

[misirlou]

shit...i just recently started getting into link's stuff. and now he's dead. rip, link

[demonic_fishie]

RIP, man. Cheers for what you did.

[saulhudsonslash]

May Link Wray rest in peace as he looks down at the guitar players he inspired. You will be missed R.I.P

[lb_guitarist12]

what did limp bizkit or dimebag have to do with any of this....RIP

[jr1976]

rip

[jr1976]

descanse en pazzzzz

[Dirtydeeds468]

DEP

[Letterbomb11]

*sniff.

[Nelsean]

I dont know who this guy was, but im sure to check to check out his stuff. "you-all-suck" dude u really need to respect the dead as well as a fellow musician, and by u saying "he must of have had no talent". Means u never heard his stuff.

Any way R.I.P Link Ray as a fallen Guitarist i salute u.

[BigMike05]

[quote]you-all-suck wrote:

man this guy sucks he must of had no talent! he wasnt at all matched to the skills of limp bizkits wes boreland! man if he was more like dimebag or wes maybe somebody would actually know this faggot [/quote[

Um, anyone this it's a possibility that he was being... i don't know, sarcastic?

[BigMike05]

Let me try that again..

you-all-suc
k wrote:

man this guy sucks he must of had no talent! he wasnt at all matched to the skills of limp bizkits wes boreland! man if he was more like dimebag or wes maybe somebody would actually know this faggot

Um, anyone think it's a possibility that he was being... i don't know, sarcastic?

(that's better.)

[buckethead101]

now i know he's a legend.

I don't here much of him but his tone, sounds headbanging.

I saw him on Feb 2003 Guitar World Mag which he was one of the 25 most weirdest guitarists of all time.

[judgeyourself]

a legend changed the way people played guitar rip

[Robert_Terry]

A true original, opening a way up for Guitarists experianced or not to sound great easily and we owe hima tribute for making punk, rock and metal guitar what it is today, so dont defile his tribute with petty arguments only with a thought, a smile and a powerchord

Rest in peace Link