On May 2, 1929, Fred Lincoln Wray, Jr., better known as Link Wray, was born in Dunn.
Wray developed an interest in music at a young age, and during the 1940s, started playing in a western swing band.
After launching a solo career, Wray became popular in the late 1950s. “Rumble” from 1958 was one of his first big hits. He is still widely remembered for it today since it was one of the first songs to feature the guitar effect of distortion. It was said that “Rumble” was banned from radio airplay because it was feared that the instrumental would initiate youth violence. The song proved popular though, and spent 10 weeks on Billboard’s Top 40 list, rising as high as number 16.
Wray continued putting out new music into the late 1980s, and he spent the last years of his life in Denmark. He died in 2005 in Copenhagen.
Wray’s unique style of playing paved the way for heavy metal, punk and grunge. He is on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “100 Greatest Guitarists,” and is credited with influencing a number of guitar players such as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Pete Townsend.
Other related resources:
- North Carolina Art Trails
- Resources for exploring performing arts from the N.C. Arts Council
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