Link Wray: the guitarist Pete Townshend called ‘The King’
Since childhood, music has filled a void and illuminated the life of The Who guitarist Pete Townshend. Discovering the guitar was a lifeline for Townshend and has taken his life to a variety of unexpected places, a pathway which he could never have dreamt about as a child in the leafy suburbs of west London. A crucial part of his road to becoming a musician was finding the work of Link Wray, an artist who ultimately convinced Townshend to become a guitarist.
Wray, who died in 2005, first made a name for himself in the 1950s with The Raymen after he had finished serving in the Korean war. Throughout his career, Wray frequently dipped in and out of the major label system but never hit lofty commercial heights. Yet, despite the financial struggle, large record companies were always willing to give him another chance due to his immense talent.
His instrumental debut single, ‘Rumble’, was released in 1958 and introduced him to an army of fans, including Townshend. It was the most successful hit of Wray’s career and added an aura of danger to his persona. Due to the title and nature of the music, ‘Rumble’ was banned in various parts of America because some believed it could incite violence. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, it made Townshend want to pick up a guitar.
Bob Dylan dubbed the track the “finest instrumental ever”. Also, shortly after the death of Link Wray in 2005, he opened all five of his shows during his London residency with ‘Rumble’. Meanwhile, the great Iggy Pop once said: “There was a guy named Link Wray, I heard this music in the student union at a university. It was called ‘Rumble’ and it sounded baaad. I left school emotionally at the moment I heard ‘Rumble’.”
Although Townshend couldn’t quite comprehend the brilliance of ‘Rumble’ when he first heard the track, he was utterly transfixed by the sound of Wray’s guitar. “I remember being made very uneasy the first time I heard ‘Rumble’, and yet very excited by the guitar sound,” he commented.
“He is the king, if it hadn’t been for Link Wray and ‘Rumble’, I would have never picked up a guitar,” Townshend revealed on another occasion. “When I grew up, what was interesting for me was that music was colour and life was grey. So, music for me has always been more than entertainment.”
While Link Wray never managed to replicate the brilliance of ‘Rumble’, he still carved out a lengthy and compelling career. The legacy of this one track is enough to make the late musician deserving of a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, yet the twice-nominee has never been inducted.
