Show 17 Part 2 - Artist Showcase: Link Wray

Shrunken Head Lounge Surf Radio Show Running Time: 29 minutes 30 seconds Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) Link 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. He also "invented the power chord! The menacing sound of "Rumble" 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. 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 Kinks, The Who, and Jimmy Page among other.   Pete Townsend states: "He is the king; if it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I would have never picked up a guitar." In 2003, Link Wray was ranked at number sixty-seven in Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100  Greatest Guitarists of all time. "Rumble", "Jack the Ripper" and "Comanche" among others...