Guitarist Link Wray, the man credited with the invention of the power chord, died earlier this month at the age of 76. He is probably best known for the instrumental track 'Rumble', released in 1958 and widely banned from airwaves across the US, despite the fact that it had no lyrics. According to his official website he poked a pencil through the cone of his amplifier to achieve that song's groundbreaking 'fuzz tone'.
Wray's style was considered the blueprint for heavy metal and punk and is said to have inspired musicians as diverse as David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Steve Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen. The Who's Pete Townsend has written that "He is the king; if it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble', I would have never picked up a guitar," whilst Neil Young once said: "If I could go back in time and see any band, it would be Link Wray and the Raymen."
In recent years, many of Wray's early instrumentals have seen a revival with their inclusion in a variety of movie soundtracks, including Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction' and John Waters' 'Pink Flamingos'. He performed forty US tour dates this year in support of the release of two CD reissue compilation 'Wray's Three Track Shack'. Wray, who had relocated to Denmark, is thought to have died on 5 Nov, and a private funeral took place on 18 Nov.