This marked Link Wray’s second posthumous nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has been eligible for this accolade since 1983, long enough to be considered a candidate for the inaugural Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 1986.
His contributions to the history of rock and roll are too many to mention, but several that stand out include Link Wray being the “father of the power chord,” and “the creator of distortion.” For the perennial impact of his instrumental “Rumble” alone, that is worthy of an induction into the Rock Hall. Wray was the first musician to use distortion in a rock recording, and he was the sole artist to have an instrumental recording (“Rumble”) banned from radio in the ’50s.
Wray was of Native American origin, and he was the first Native American rocker to sell over one million copies in 1958 with “Rumble.” Thanks to his musical influence, many other artists were inspired to pick up and guitar, and more rock sub-genres started to emerge.
This year, Link Wray’s life story were featured in the documentary Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, which garnered a favorable review from Digital Journal, and rightfully so.
Hopefully, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will rectify this obvious omission in a future ceremony. Link Wray deserves to be in there at least as an “Early Influence,” if not a “Performer.” His legacy and influence in rock and roll is too huge to ignore.
Read More: Digital Journal had the privilege to chat with Beth Wray Webb, the oldest daughter of Link Wray, about her father’s musical legacy.
