Photo: Dxede5x / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
For me, Link Wray is one of those quiet revolutionaries history almost forgot. His 1958 instrumental "Rumble" introduced distortion and tremolo to rock before most players knew what to do with them, and you can hear its DNA in everyone from Page to punk. What strikes me most is how long recognition took: a 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, decades after he reshaped the electric guitar's vocabulary. I have a soft spot for craftsmen who change the sound of music without chasing the spotlight, and Wray, ranked 45th greatest guitarist by Rolling Stone, is exactly that kind of artist.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Link Wray
- Name (Japanese)
- リンク・レイ
- Reading
- りんく・れい
- Born
- May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Snake
- Origin
- Dunn, North Carolina, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- guitarist / composer / singer / recording artist / lyricist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.linkwray.com/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF%E3%83%BB%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4
Frequently asked questions
When was Link Wray born?
May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005.
Where is Link Wray from?
Link Wray is from Dunn, North Carolina, United States.
What does Link Wray do?
Link Wray works as guitarist, composer, singer, recording artist, lyricist.
Guitarist — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-18
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.