On Wray’s nomination for the coveted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, Beth said, “That was awesome! I think he should be in. He is the only one that has ever had an instrumental banned from the radio, and he was the one that invented the power chord, before they had the pedals they had today. He’s the trunk of rock and roll, and branches of heavy metal, punk and hip hop and all of that, just branched right off from him.”
She continued, “‘Rumble’ will be 60 years old in March. It is growing just as strong now, if not stronger, when he created the song in 1958.”
Despite any obstacles that he encountered in his life, such losing one lung in the Korean War, he came back stronger than ever. “The doctors told him that he would never be able to play the guitar or sing again, and boy were they wrong. He proved them wrong. No matter what happened to dad, he kept fighting since he wanted to create music and sounds,” she said.
Link Wray, who was affectionately known as “The Grandfather of Rock and Roll,” has garnered praise from such iconic artists as Jimmy Page, Slash, Jeff Beck, Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Pete Townsend, and Neil Young, among countless others. If it weren’t for Link Wray, many of these aforementioned artists would have never picked up a guitar. “I am very proud of my dad,” she said, effusively. “Dad was a very humble man. He didn’t even realize the people that he influenced. He didn’t realize how popular he really was. He sure didn’t. He touched a lot of wonderful people, and he has some wonderful fans.”
His life story was a part of the award-winning documentary Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World. It is available on Amazon. “It has gotten great feedback. It is very educational, and they have done a wonderful job! It won 10 awards, and it is just awesome. Now, they are going to start teaching ‘Rumble’ in schools for their music classes. Isn’t that cool or what?” she said.
Throughout his illustrious career in the music scene, Wray is an inductee in the following Hall of Fames: the Native American Music Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Southern Legends Hall of Fame, among others. “Those were awesome! I am so honored that he is finally getting the recognition he deserves,” she said. “His songs have been in movies such as Pulp Fiction, Independence Day, Blow, and so many others,” she said. “Hopefully, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will say, ‘okay, it’s time to put him in’. I am proud of who he is, and what he has accomplished.”
To learn more about the musical legacy of rock icon Link Wray, check out his official website.
