Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray, Jr. (May 2, 1929 โ November 5, 2005) was a Native… Read Full Bio ↴Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray, Jr. (May 2, 1929 โ November 5, 2005) was a Native 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", facilitating the emergence of "punk and heavy rock". Rolling Stone placed Wray at No. 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. In 2013 he was a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Though he began in country music, his musical style went on to consist primarily of rock and roll, rockabilly, and instrumental rock.
Wray was born on May 2, 1929 in Dunn, North Carolina, to Fred Lincoln Wray, Sr. and his wife, Lillian M. Wray (nรฉe Coats). They were Shawnee Native Americans. 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.
In 1958, Wray's first hit, "Rumble", was banned in New York and Boston for fear it would incite teenage gang violence. The record was first released on Cadence Records as Cat # 1347 (as Link Wray and the Ray-Men). 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.
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 "Hutch" Hutchinson. He subsequently formed a band initially featuring special guest Cipollina along with the rhythm section from Cipollina's band Copperhead, bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson, and drummer David Weber. They opened for the band Lighthouse at The Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles from May 15โ19, 1974. 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. He toured and recorded two albums with retro-rockabilly artist Robert Gordon in the late 1970s. 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.
Wray's first three marriagesโto Elizabeth Canady Wray, Katherine Tidwell Wray, and Sharon Wrayโeach ended in divorce. 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.
Wray died of heart failure at his home in Copenhagen, at the age of 76. Survivors included his fourth wife, Olive Julie Povlsen Wray, and their son. He was buried in the crypt of the Christian's Church, Copenhagen.
Jack Rose cited Wray as an influence, as did Iggy Pop and Neil Young. 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." "The only people I ever really looked up to were Link Wray and Iggy Pop," said Mark E. Smith of The Fall. "Guys likeโฆLink Wrayโฆ are very special to me.
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", facilitating the emergence of "punk and heavy rock". Rolling Stone placed Wray at No. 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. In 2013 he was a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Though he began in country music, his musical style went on to consist primarily of rock and roll, rockabilly, and instrumental rock.
Wray was born on May 2, 1929 in Dunn, North Carolina, to Fred Lincoln Wray, Sr. and his wife, Lillian M. Wray (nรฉe Coats). They were Shawnee Native Americans. 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.
In 1958, Wray's first hit, "Rumble", was banned in New York and Boston for fear it would incite teenage gang violence. The record was first released on Cadence Records as Cat # 1347 (as Link Wray and the Ray-Men). 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.
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 "Hutch" Hutchinson. He subsequently formed a band initially featuring special guest Cipollina along with the rhythm section from Cipollina's band Copperhead, bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson, and drummer David Weber. They opened for the band Lighthouse at The Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles from May 15โ19, 1974. 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. He toured and recorded two albums with retro-rockabilly artist Robert Gordon in the late 1970s. 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.
Wray's first three marriagesโto Elizabeth Canady Wray, Katherine Tidwell Wray, and Sharon Wrayโeach ended in divorce. 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.
Wray died of heart failure at his home in Copenhagen, at the age of 76. Survivors included his fourth wife, Olive Julie Povlsen Wray, and their son. He was buried in the crypt of the Christian's Church, Copenhagen.
Jack Rose cited Wray as an influence, as did Iggy Pop and Neil Young. 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." "The only people I ever really looked up to were Link Wray and Iggy Pop," said Mark E. Smith of The Fall. "Guys likeโฆLink Wrayโฆ are very special to me.
Fat Back
Link Wray Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Link Wray:
Ain Listen to me baby, I'll tell ya how I love you Well…
Ain't That Lovin You Baby Listen to me, baby I'll tell ya how I love you Well,…
Ain't That Lovin' You Babe Listen to me baby, I'll tell ya how I love you Well…
Ain't That Lovin' You Baby Listen to me, baby I'll tell ya how I love you Well,…
And I Love Her I give her all my love That's all I do And if…
Autumn Leaves The falling leaves drift by the window The autumn leaves of…
Batman Batman, Batman, Batman Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman Batm…
Begin the Beguine When they begin the beguine It brings back the sound of…
Black River Swamp I was born down in the country Down where the cotton…
Born To Be Wild Get your motor runnin' Head out on the highway Lookin' for a…
Don't Blue eyes, where are you going? Don't run away You know that…
Fallin' Rain i hear a sound, its ' going through my brain i…
Fever You'll never know how much I love you Never know how…
Fire I'm drivin' in my car, you turn on the radio I'm…
Fire and Brimstone I had a dream last night While I was layin' in…
Genocide Could it be that it didn't happen? Could it be that…
Girl From the North Country If you go in the north country far Where the winds…
Good Good Lovin' Red ... Alert Red ... Alert When I'm with you baby I feel…
I'm Counting On You Yeah I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you I'm gonna…
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry Over You Yeah I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you I'm gonna…
I'm So Glad I'm So Proud (Yeah) I'm so proud I'm so proud I'm so proud pretty baby I…
It's All over Now Baby Blue You must leave now Take what you need, you think will…
Juke Box Mama Jukebox Mama Dancing all alone Shaking up everything A real …
La De Da There's going to be a revival tonight Everybody gonna jump a…
Lover Come Back To Me You went away I let you We broke the ties that bind I…
My Baby Left Me Since my baby left me, never said a word Was it…
Please Please Me Last night I said these words to my girl I know…
Pretty Blue Eyes Blue eyes, where are you going? Don't run away You know that…
Rise And Fall Of Jimmy Stokes Jimmy Stokes came from Alabam' with just the shirt on…
Rumble Tsutaetai koto ga mou omosugite, kono mama tsuburechaisou de…
Run Boy Run Blue eyes, where are you going? Don't run away You know that…
Soul Train Get on that soul train Down there in New Orleans Goes 'cross…
Tail Dragger I'm a tail dragger I wipe out my tracks I'm a…
Tiger Man Train I ride, sixteen coaches long Train I ride, sixteen co…
What a Price Oh what a price I had to pay For loving you,…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Fuzz Face
While I do realize the comment I'm replying to is 7 years old, I need to clear some things up.
Vocal amp? No, they simply plugged microphones into guitar amps, because there was really nothing else.
As far as the first distortion? Link wasn't the first. As soon as electric guitars started being sold (early 1930's) people were making distortion. Amps in those days were little more than converted radios, and they were very underpowered. To be heard, you simply had to crank up the amp, which made distortion. Guitarists just lived with it, but didn't begin to embrace it until the late 50's.
Also, there was never a need to cut a speaker. Fender amps of the Late 50's made a heck of a lot of distortion all on their own.
For most of Neil Young's career, he's used a 1953 Gibson Les Paul, and a 1959 Fender Deluxe amp, and this is how it sounds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREf47BPe5w
Barry Hodge
The most underrated guitarist ever
Mobile and Hostile
โญ๏ธ FACT โญ๏ธ
Valery Charles
Underrated ? I see Always that about anything, anybody...it's like a quote ? the problem is the desire to rate everything
Alexey Merzhiy
He is very monotonous.
Dinerboy11
I can't believe it took me until 2010 to learn who Link Wray was. Cooler than any of us ever will be.
Herr Fister
Not so sure bruv. Iโm pretty cool myself you know. Plus I have a conviction for driving 6mph over the limit, so I am something of a badass too.
I urge you to reconsider.
Thank you.
T4TEXASTOM JOHNNYCAT
@Herr Fister
6mph over?...... you better ease up buddy.๐๐๐ธ
Epic
@Herr Fister lmfao
Ian Board
I saw him in 79 in providence when I was in college. Did a 15 min version of 'house of the rising sun' - just kicked ass.
Biff Dorkington
Greatest guitarist to ever live.