As I was hazily going through my feeds on various social media platforms during a lazy Sunday last week I stumbled on the saddening news that “The King of the Surf Guitar”, Dick Dale, had just passed away 81 years old.
Although I think that most of you who are reading this have probably heard my choice of song of the week, the Surf Rock classic “Miserlou“, in various context I would think that the name Dick Dale likely doesn’t ring a bell or doesn’t mean much to you. And I don’t fault you for it; he only had a brief period in the limelight and didn’t put out a whole lot of records or song during his career. But much like Buddy Holly a few years before him, despite the short period in the spotlight he left a lasting impression on the development of Rock and popular music, both artistically and technologically.
Therefore I’m penning this week’s piece in tribute to Dick Dale and to tell you why he and his legacy matters in the history of Rock and Roll.
