# Link Wray

Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s. His 1958 instrumental single "Rumble", reached the top 20 in the United States; and was one of the earliest songs in rock music to utilize distortion and tremolo.
Rolling Stone ranked Wray at No. 45 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. He received two nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, prior to being inducted in the Musical Influence category in 2023.

## Early life

Wray was born on May 2, 1929, in Dunn, North Carolina, to Fred Lincoln Wray Sr. and Lillian Mae (née Coats), whom her son identified as being of Shawnee descent. He recalled living in very harsh conditions during childhood, in mud huts, without electricity or heating, going to school barefoot, barely clothed. He recounted that his family experienced discrimination, including times when they had to hide from the Ku Klux Klan. Wray later said: "The cops, the sheriff, the drugstore owner—they were all Ku Klux Klan. They put the masks on and, if you did something wrong, they'd tie you to a tree and whip you or kill you." His family listed themselves as White on census records. Three songs Wray performed during his career were named for Indigenous peoples: "Shawnee", "Apache", and "Comanche".
Wray lived with his family in Portsmouth, Virginia from 1942 until 1955. He and his brothers Ray and Doug (born July 4, 1933 – died April 29, 1984) drove cabs during the day while working at night clubs in the Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia area. Wray's first bands, The Lucky Wray Band and The Palomino Ranch Gang, formed in Portsmouth and included brothers Ray, Doug, and Vernon (born January 7, 1924 – died March 26, 1979) and two other musicians, Dixie Neal and Shorty Horton.
Wray served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War (1950–53). He contracted tuberculosis, which hospitalized him 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.

## Career

Building on the distorted electric guitar sound of early records, Wray's first hit was the 1958 instrumental "Rumble". The record was first released on Cadence Records (catalog number 1347) as by "Link Wray & His Ray Men". "Rumble" was banned in New York and Boston for fear that it would incite teenage gang violence, "rumble" being slang for a gang fight.
Before, during, and after his stints with major labels Epic and Swan, Wray released 45s 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, in Accokeek, Maryland. He wrote and recorded the LP Link Wray (1971), on which he wrote about his frustrations. The Neville Brothers have recorded two tracks from it, "Fallin' Rain" and "Fire and Brimstone".
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 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. He later did numerous concerts and radio broadcasts in the Bay Area, including at KSAN and at promoter Bill Graham's Winterland Ballroom venue, 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, session 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. He went on to release two albums of new music: Shadowman (1997) and Barbed Wire (2000).
In November 2017, Easy Eye Records announced the future release of two recently discovered recordings, "Son of Rumble", presumably a follow-up to 1958's "Rumble", and "Whole Lotta Talking", recorded in 1970. The recordings were issued as a 45rpm single in April 2018. Easy Eye released another 45rpm single of newly discovered/unreleased material for RSD 2019, "Vernon's Diamond" b/w "My Brother, My Son". "Vernon's Diamond" was recorded circa 1958-59 and is an early version of "Ace of Spades", and "My Brother, My Son" was recorded at the same sessions as "Whole Lotta Talking" in 1970.

## Personal life and death

Wray's first three marriages, to Elizabeth Canady Wray, Ethel Tidwell Wray, and Sharon Cole Wray, produced eight children. In the early 1980s, Wray relocated to Denmark and married Olive Poulsen, who became his manager.
Wray died of heart failure at his home in Copenhagen, on November 5, 2005, at the age of 76. He was survived by his nine children, 24 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Wray was cremated, and his ashes were buried in the crypt of the Christian's Church, Copenhagen.

## Musical style and influence

Link Wray's 1950s recordings "straddled country and rockabilly". He later performed surf influenced garage rock in the 1960s, swamp rock and country rock in the early 1970s and hard rock in the late 1970s and onward.
Wray is credited with inventing the power chord. According to AllMusic's Cub Koda, Wray's instrumental recordings starting with "Rumble" through his Swan singles in the early 1960s laid the blueprints for "heavy metal, thrash, you name it." "Rumble" facilitated the emergence of "punk and heavy rock", according to Jeremy Simmonds.
Wray has influenced a wide range of artists. Jimmy Page described Link Wray as having a "real rebel attitude" and credited Wray in the documentary 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." Mark E. Smith of The Fall wrote in his autobiography: "The only people I ever really looked up to were Link Wray and Iggy Pop ... Guys like [Wray] are very special to me." Iggy Pop and Neil Young have also cited Wray as an influence on their work.
Bob Dylan refers to Wray in his song "Sign Language", which he recorded as a duet with Eric Clapton in 1975: "Link Wray was playin' on a juke box I was payin'/ for the words I was saying, so misunderstood/he didn't do me no good." Both Dylan and Bruce Springsteen performed Wray's tune "Rumble" in concert as a tribute to the influential musician upon his 2005 death. In 2007, musician Steven Van Zandt inducted Link Wray into the Native American Music Hall of Fame with a tribute performance by his grandson Chris Webb and Native artist Gary Small.

## Discography
### Singles

| Release date | A-side | B-side | Label | Catalog number | US |
| March 1958 | "Rumble" | "The Swag" | Cadence | 1347 | 16 |
| January 1959 | "Raw-Hide" | "Dixie-Doodle" | Epic | 5-9300 | 23 |
| June 1959 | "Comanche" | "Lillian" | Epic | 5-9321 | |
| October 1959 | "Slinky" | "Rendezvous" | Epic | 5-9343 | |
| February 1960 | "Trail of the Lonesome Pine" | "Golden Strings" (Based on a Chopin etude) | Epic | 5-9361 | |
| 1960 | "Roughshod" [released as by Ray Vernon & The Raymen] | "Vendetta" [released as by Ray Vernon & The Raymen] | Scottie | 1320 |
| October 1960 | "Ain't That Lovin' You Babe" | "Mary Ann" | Epic | 5-9419 | |
| July 1961 | "Jack The Ripper" | "The Stranger" | Rumble | 1000 | |
| August 1961 | "El Toro" | "Tijuana" | Epic | 5-9454 | |
| November 1961 | "Evil Angel" [A-side by Ray Vernon] | "Danger One Way Love" [B-side by Ray Vernon with Link Wray & His Raymen] | Rumble | 1349 | |
| April 1962 | "Poppin' Popeye" | "Big City Stomp" | Trans Atlas | M-687 | |
| October 1962 | "Hold It" [released as by Ray Vernon & The Raymen] | "Big City After Dark" [released as by Ray Vernon & The Raymen] | Mala | 456 | |
| January 1963 | "Dancing Party" | "There's a Hole in the Middle of the Moon" | Mala | 458 | |
| February 1963 | "Hambone" [A-side by Red Saunders & His Orchestra with Dolores Hawkins & The Hambone Kids] | "Rumble Mambo" [B-side by Link Wray & The Wraymen] | OKeh | 4-7166 | |
| March 1963 | "Jack The Ripper" [reissue] | "The Black Widow" | Swan | S-4137 | 64 |
| September 1963 | "Week End" | "Turnpike U.S.A." | Swan | S-4154 | |
| November 1963 | "The Sweeper" | "Run Chicken Run" | Swan | S-4163 | |
| February 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 | |
| April 1965 | "I'm Branded" | "Hang On" | Swan | S-4211 | |
| never released/withdrawn from schedule (originally set for mid–1965) | "Please Please Me" | "Rumble '65" | Swan | S-4221 | |
| July 1965 | "Baby, What'cha Want Me" | "Walkin' Down the Street Called Love" | Diamond | D-186 | |
| October 1965 | "Girl from the North Country" | "You Hurt Me So" | Swan | S-4232 | |
| December 1965 | "Ace of Spades" | "The Fuzz" | Swan | S-4239 | |
| February 1966 | "Batman Theme" (with Bobby Howard) | "Alone" | Swan | S-4244 | |
| July 1966 | "Hidden Charms" | "Ace of Spades" [alternate version] | Swan | S-4261 | |
| October 1966 | "Let the Good Times Roll" (with Kathy Lynn) | "Soul Train" | Swan | S-4273 | |
| 1967 | "Jack The Ripper" [reissue] | "I'll Do Anything For You" [reissue] | Swan | S-4282 | |
| 1968 | "Rumble '68" | "Blow Your Mind" | Heavy | H-101 | |
| February 1969 | "Rumble–69" | "Mind Blower" | Mr. G (an imprint of Audio Fidelity) | G-820 | |
| July 1971 | "Fire and Brimstone" | "Juke Box Mama" | Polydor | PD-14084 | |
| October 1971 | "Fallin' Rain" | "Juke Box Mama" | Polydor | PD-14096 | |
| 1973 | "Shine the Light" | "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" | Polydor | PD-14188 | |
| 1973 | "I'm So Glad, I'm So Proud" | "Shawnee Tribe" | Virgin [UK] | VS-103 | |
| 1974 | "I Got To Ramble" (Dedicated to the memory of Duane Allman) | "She's That Kind of Woman" | Polydor | PD-14256 | |
| 1974 | "It Was a Bad Scene" | "Backwoods Preacher Man" | Polydor [UK] | 2066 366 | |
| 1975 | "I Know You're Leaving Me Now" | "Quicksand" | Virgin [UK] | VS-142 | |
| June 1979 | "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" | "Just That Kind" | Charisma [UK] | CB-333 | |
| April 2018 | "Son of Rumble" | "Whole Lotta Talking" | Easy Eye Records | 566577-7 | |
| April 2019 | "Vernon's Diamond" | "My Brother, My Son" | Easy Eye Sound | EES-009 | |
Wray was a featured collaborator on Robert Gordon's 1977 single "Red Hot" (Private Stock 45–156). The single peaked at No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

### Albums

| Release date | Title | Label | Catalog Number |
| 1960 US | Link Wray & The Wraymen | Epic | LN 3661 |
| 1962 US | Great Guitar Hits by Link Wray and His Raymen | Vermillion | LP-1924 |
| 1963 US | Jack the Ripper | Swan | S-LP 510 |
| 1964 US | Link Wray Sings and Plays Guitar | Vermillion | LP-1925 |
| 1969 US | Yesterday – Today | Record Factory | LP-1929 |
| 1971 US | Link Wray | Polydor | PD-24-4064 |
| 1971 US | Mordicai Jones (with Bobby Howard) | Polydor | PD-5010 |
| 1973 US | Beans and Fatback (rec. 1971) | Virgin | V-2006 |
| 1973 US | Be What You Want To | Polydor | PD-5047 |
| 1974 US | The Link Wray Rumble | Polydor | PD-6025 |
| 1974 US | Listen to the Voices That Want to Be Free (with Joey Welz; rec. 1969–70) [reissued in 2013 as Rumble & Roll on Rokarola/Music Avenue 250346] | Music City | MCR-5003 |
| 1975 US | Stuck in Gear | Virgin | V-2050 |
| 1979 US | Bullshot | Visa/Passport/Gem | VISA 7009 |
| 1980 US | Live at the Paradiso [at the Paradiso, Amsterdam] | Visa/Passport/Gem | VISA 7010 |
| 1985 UK | Live in '85 | Big Beat | WIK 42; CDWIK 972 |
| 1989 DE | Born to Be Wild: Live in the U.S.A. 1987 | Line | LICD 9.00690 |
| 1989 UK | Rumble Man | Ace | CH 266 |
| 1990 UK | Apache | Ace | CH 286; CDCHD 931 |
| 1990 UK | Wild Side of the City Lights | Ace | CH 296; CDCHD 931 |
| 1993 DK | Indian Child | Epic/Sony Music | EPC 473100 2 |
| 1997 US | Shadowman | Hip-O/UMe | HIPD-40069 |
| 1997 US | Walking Down a Street Called Love [live] | Cult Music/Cleopatra | CLP-9989 |
| 2000 UK | Barbed Wire | Ace | CDCHD 770 |
| 2019 UK | Link Sings Elvis [10" LP] | Ace | 10CHD 1553 |

### Compilations

| Release date | Title | Label | Catalog Number |
| 1978 UK | Link Wray: Early Recordings | Chiswick/Ace | CH 6; CDCHD 1460 |
| 1982 UK | Good Rockin' Tonight | Chiswick/Ace | CH 69; CDCHD 1460 |
| 1987 UK | Growling Guitar | Big Beat | WIK 65; CDWIK 972 |
| 1989 UK | The Original Rumble: Plus 22 Other Storming Guitar Instrumentals | Ace | CDCH 924 |
| 1989 UK | The Swan Demos '64 [reissued in 2005 as Law of the Jungle! The Swan Demos '64 on Sundazed SC-6221] | Hangman | HANG-31 UP |
| 1990 UK | Jack The Ripper [reissued in 1994 on Forevermore FVR-5002; and again in 2005 on Sundazed LP-5192] | Hangman | HANG-33 UP |
| 1990 US | Hillbilly Wolf: Missing Links Vol. 1 | Norton | ED 210 |
| 1990 US | Big City After Dark: Missing Links Vol. 2 | Norton | ED 211 |
| 1990 US | Some Kinda Nut: Missing Links Vol. 3 | Norton | ED 212 |
| 1992 US | Walkin' With Link | Epic/Legacy | EK 47904 |
| 1993 US | Rumble! The Best of Link Wray | Rhino | R2 71222 |
| 1995 US | Guitar Preacher: The Polydor Years [2CD] | Chronicles/Polydor | 527 717 |
| 1995 US | Mr. Guitar: Original Swan Recordings [2CD] | Norton | CED 242 |
| 1997 US | Streets of Chicago: Missing Links Volume 4 | Norton | ED 253 |
| 1997 UK | Robert Gordon with Link Wray / Fresh Fish Special [2-LP-on-1-CD; with extra bonus track: "Endless Sleep"] | Ace | CDCHD 656 |
| 1997 UK | The Swan Singles Collection 1963–1967 [reissued in 2004 on Sundazed LP-5178] | Rollercoaster | RCCD 3011 |
| 2002 US | Slinky! The Epic Sessions '58–'61 [2CD] | Sundazed | SC-11098 |
| 2002 UK | Law of the Jungle | Ace | CDCHD 837 |
| 2004 UK | "They're Outta Here", Says Archie [first issue of the unreleased 1958 Cadence album, rejected by label boss Archie Bleyer] | Rollercoaster | RCCD 3032 |
| 2006 US | White Lightning: Lost Cadence Sessions '58 | Sundazed | SC-11137 |
| 2007 UK | King of the Wild Guitar | Ace | CDCHD 1143 |
| 2007 UK | The Pathway Sessions (includes the albums: Apache, Wild Side of the City Lights) | Ace | CDCHD 1154 |
| 2015 UK | 3-Track Shack [2CD] (includes the albums: Link Wray, Mordicai Jones, Beans and Fatback) | Ace | CDCH2 1451 |

### With Robert Gordon

| Release date | Title | Label | Number |
| 1977 US | Robert Gordon with Link Wray | Private Stock; 1979 reissue: RCA Victor; 1997 CD reissue: One Way; 2015 CD reissue: Culture Factory | PS 2030; AFL1-3296; OW-34493; 850703003880 |
| 1978 US | Fresh Fish Special | Private Stock; 1979 reissue: RCA Victor; 1997 CD reissue: One Way; 2015 CD reissue: Culture Factory | PS 7008; AFL1-3299; OW-34491; 850703003873 |
| 2014 US | Robert Gordon / Link Wray: Cleveland '78 [live] | Rock-A-Billy/Cleopatra | CLP-CD-1952 |