Eccentric legendary Guitar hero passes away

Dick Dale Dead at 81

DICK DALE R.I.P. 1937 - 2019

Guitarist Dick Dale, the pioneer of surf rock known for his 1962 hit Misirlou, has died age 81. He died on March 16, 2019, Dale’s live bassist, Sam Bolle, confirmed to the Guardian. Dale developed his distinctive sound by adding to instrumental rock influences from his Middle Eastern heritage, along with a “wet” reverb sound and his rapid alternative picking style. At the turn of the ’60s, Dale was pivotal in the development of the Fender Stratocaster guitar. On the track Misirlou, Dale transformed the traditional Greek folk song into a sped-up, one-string performance, which became a national sensation after Dale performed it on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1962. In 1994, Quentin Tarantino used it as the opening music for Pulp Fiction.

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Check the guitar - like his near neighbour Jimi Hendrix, Dale could play the guitar 'upside down' and left handed and even here on a purpose built left handed guitar has it strung conventionally so is still playing it the wrong way as t'were. *Dale claimed to have met Jimi in '64 and believed the line about surf music in 'Third Stone From the Sun' was encouragement to Dale who was ill at the time  and prompting him to recover*. There seems to be no evidence that any of that tale is true but we don't care! Extraordinary man a true legend

"And you'll never hear surf music again ... 
 . . . . . . . .  That sounds like a lie to me"*

Jimi Hendrix - 'Third Stone From The Sun