Link Wray

Fred Lincoln 'Link' Wray, Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005), was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s.

Building on the distorted electric guitar sound of early records, his 1958 instrumental hit "Rumble" by Link Wray and his Ray Men popularized "the power chord, the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists",[3] facilitating the emergence of "punk and heavy rock".[4] Rolling Stone placed Wray at No. 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.[5] In 2013 he was a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[6] Though he began in country music, his musical style went on to consist primarily of rock and roll, rockabilly, and instrumental rock.[7]

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Legacy 5 Discography 5.1 Singles 5.2 Albums 5.3 Compilation albums 5.4 With Robert Gordon 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Early life
Wray was born on May 2, 1929 in Dunn, North Carolina, to Fred Lincoln Wray, Sr. and his wife, Lillian M. Wray (née Coats).[8][9] They were Shawnee Native Americans.[10] Three songs he performed were named for American Indian tribes: "Shawnee", "Apache", and "Comanche". "Apache" was an instrumental composed by Jerry Lordan; it was originally a hit in the United Kingdom for The Shadows in 1960. Wray recorded a cover version 30 years later, when it was also associated with The Ventures and the Incredible Bongo Band.

Wray served in the US Army during the Korean War, and contracted tuberculosis, which laid him up in a hospital for a year. His stay concluded with the removal of a lung, which doctors predicted would mean he would never be able to sing again.[11]

Career
Wray's first hit, "Rumble", was banned in New York and Boston for fear it would incite teenage gang violence. Before, during and after his stints with major labels Epic and Swan, Wray released 45's under many names. Tiring of the corporate music machine, he began recording albums using a three-track studio he converted from an outbuilding on his brother's property that his father used to raise chickens.[11]

While living in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1970s, Wray was introduced to Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist John Cipollina by bassist James Hutchinson.[12] He subsequently formed a band initially featuring special guest Cipollina along with the rhythm section from Cipollina's band Copperhead, bassist Hutch Hutchinson, and drummer David Weber. They opened for the band Lighthouse at The Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles from May 15–19, 1974.[13] He later did numerous concerts and radio broadcasts in the Bay Area including KSAN (FM) and the Bill Graham venue Winterland Ballroom, with Les Lizama later replacing Hutchinson on bass.[14] He toured and recorded two albums with retro-rockabilly artist Robert Gordon in the late 1970s.[15] The 1980s to the present day saw a large number of reissues as well as new material. One member of his band in the 1980s, drummer Anton Fig, later became drummer in the CBS Orchestra on the Late Show with David Letterman. In 1994, he played on four songs of the album Chatterton by French rocker Alain Bashung.[16]

Personal life
Link Wray's grave Wray's first three marriages—to Elizabeth Canady Wray, Katherine Tidwell Wray, and Sharon Wray—each ended in divorce.[17] Although Wray had eight children with his first three wives, he had little contact with any of them after relocating to Denmark in the early 1980s.[17] He died of heart failure, aged 76, in 2005, at his home in Copenhagen. Survivors included his fourth wife, Olive Julie Povlsen Wray, and their son.[17] He was buried in the crypt of the Christian's Church, Copenhagen.[18]

Legacy
Jack Rose cited Wray as an influence,[19] as did Iggy Pop[20] and Neil Young.[21] Jimmy Page says that Link Wray had a "real rebel attitude" and credits him in It Might Get Loud as a major influence in his early career. According to Rolling Stone, Pete Townshend of The Who once said, "If it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I never would have picked up a guitar."

On October 16, 2013, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that Link Wray was a nominee for inclusion in 2014.[6]

Discography
Singles

Release date

A-side

B-side

Label

Catalog number

US

April 1958 "Rumble" "The Swag" Cadence 1347 16 January 1959 "Raw-Hide" "The Dixie-Doodle" Epic 5-9300 23 June 1959 "Comanche" "Lillian" Epic 5-9321 October 1959 "Slinky" "Rendezvous" Epic 5-9343 1959 "Vendetta" (as Ray Vernon) "Roughshod" "Scottie" NRS-3020 March 1960 "Trail of the Lonesome Pine" "Golden Strings" (based on A Chopin Etude) Epic 5-9361 October 1960 "Ain't That Lovin' You Babe" "Mary Ann" Epic 5-9419 July 1961 "Jack The Ripper" "The Stranger" Rumble 1000 64 August 1961 "El Toro" "Tijuana" Epic 5-9454 1962 "Big City After Dark" "Hold It" (as Ray Vernon & the Raymen) Mala March 1962 "Big City Stomp" "Poppin' Popeye" Trans Atlas March 1963 "Rumble Mambo" "Hambone" Okeh 4-7166 April 1963 "The Black Widow" "Jack The Ripper" Swan S-4137 September 1963 "Week End" "Turnpike U.S.A." Swan S-4154 November 1963 "Run Chicken Run" "The Sweeper" Swan S-4163 March 1964 "The Shadow Knows" "My Alberta" Swan S-4171 July 1964 "Deuces Wild" "Summer Dream" Swan S-4187 February 1965 "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 1977 "Red Hot"   83 May 1979 "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" "Just That Kind" Charisma CB-333

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Albums

Release date

Title

Label

Catalog Number

1960 US Link Wray & The Wraymen 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. 1971) Virgin V-2006 1974 US The Link Wray Rumble Polydor PD-6025 1975 US Stuck in Gear Virgin Records Ltd Stereo 27 266 XOT 1979 US Bullshot Visa VISA 7009 1979 US Live at the Paradiso RCA PL-44012 1990 UK Apache 1990 UK Wild Side of the City Lights 1993 DE Indian Child Sony Music EPC 473100 2 1997 US Shadowman 1997 UK Walking Down a Street Called Love – live 2000 UK Barbed Wire

Compilation albums

Release date

Title

Label

Catalog Number

1969 US Yesterday and Today Record Factory LP 1929 1989 Rumble Man Ace Records CH 266 May 1993 Rumble! The Best of Link Wray Rhino Records 2002 Mr. Guitar Norton Records 2003 Hillbilly Wolf – Missing Links Volume 1 Norton Records 2003 Streets of Chicago – Missing Links Volume 4 Norton Records 2006 Big City After Dark – Missing Links Volume 2 Norton Records 2006 Some Kinda Nut – Missing Links Volume 3 Norton Records 2007 King of the Wild Guitar Ace Records B000PATZPQ

With Robert Gordon

Release date

Title

Label

Number

1977 UK Robert Gordon w/ Link Wray 1978 UK Fresh Fish Special Private Stock PS 7008

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