Link Wray is a guitarist of global influence, often credited with inventing power chords and fuzztone. Wray honed those innovations at the dawn of the rock 'n roll era while he, two brothers and a cousin (the Wraymen) worked as a house band on the Milt Grant Show, DC's answer to American Bandstand.
The Wraymen broke through in 1958 with the instrumental "Rumble", showcasing Wray's menacing guitar sound, and had a few more hits until the early 60s. At that point, the family settled in Accokeek, MD, where they continued to record and release music independently, working out of their infamous "three-track shack" recording studio in a converted chicken house.
After a trio of LPs recorded in that rustic setting in the early 1970's, and a partnership with local rockabilly singer Robert Gordon, Link Wray decamped for the West Coast, and eventually settled permanently in Denmark.
For someone with such a humble career, Wray's unique stamp has been on everything from West Coast surf to New York punk, and loud music from all over the world. And appreciation for his homemade singer-songwriter recordings continues to grow.
Link Wray died in 2005. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
The Wraymen broke through in 1958 with the instrumental "Rumble", showcasing Wray's menacing guitar sound, and had a few more hits until the early 60s. At that point, the family settled in Accokeek, MD, where they continued to record and release music independently, working out of their infamous "three-track shack" recording studio in a converted chicken house.
After a trio of LPs recorded in that rustic setting in the early 1970's, and a partnership with local rockabilly singer Robert Gordon, Link Wray decamped for the West Coast, and eventually settled permanently in Denmark.
For someone with such a humble career, Wray's unique stamp has been on everything from West Coast surf to New York punk, and loud music from all over the world. And appreciation for his homemade singer-songwriter recordings continues to grow.
Link Wray died in 2005. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
