Link Wray was credited with inventing 'fuzz' guitar after punching a hole in a speaker giving him a distorted guitar sound. He also invented the power chord.
Famous for his 1958 US single 'Rumble'. The stalking, menacing sound (and its title) led to a ban on several radio stations, a rare feat for an instrumental !
It also became a huge hit, not only in the United States, but also Great Britain, where it has been cited as an influence on The Kinks, The Who, and Jimmy Page and many others. It is the rock and roll guitar sound.
Link Wray died on this day in 2005.
It's difficult to find a good quality sound clip of the track. Copyright seems to stand in the way of most videos. Although here is "Rumble" in lo-fi from the original Cadence 45 RPM record.
