Talk:Link Wray

Death?

I haven't seen any confirmation of his death. Link? googuse 09:04, 20 November 2005 (UTC)

[1] - David Gerard 14:09, 20 November 2005 (UTC)

I have seen confirmation of Link's death here: In Spanish: http://actualidad.terra.es/cultura/articulo/fallece_link_wray_603381.htm

In Danish: http://politiken.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=408895

but not the date or cause of his death, just that he had already died by Nov. 18th.

The stupid American press seems to not give a damn.

CNN finally reported...a nice article but over 2 weeks late! [2] SkaTroma 17:43, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

Here's archive link for the CNN piece. Robman94 (talk) 02:18, 13 March 2013 (UTC)

Rocket 88?

The article links to Rocket 88 but the connection between Wray and Rocket 88 is not made clear. Can someone make the connection clear. Or remove the link if it is an error. Nurg 09:19, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

Isn't this just a reference to the damaged amplifier being partly responsible for the sound in both Rocket 88 and Rumble? I don't think any other connection is being made. Oylenshpeegul

'rumble' article

seeing as it was such an important song, i think an article on it would be very beneficial. Joeyramoney 04:03, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

...OK, here it is: "A slowly descending blues scale" is the only feature of this song.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.12.252.112 (talk) 04:27, 4 May 2009 (UTC) 

Invention of fuzz-tone

This should be re-worded; fuzz-tone had happened accidentally previously, when amps had been damaged. One guitarist in particular broke his amp by dropping it but never had it repaired 'coz he liked the new sound. Wray was the first person to deliberately damage his amp to get a fuzz-tone (influenced by the aforementioned guitarist), not the first to make use of such a sound.

I got this info from Total Guitar mag, but unfortunately it's at home and I'm at uni so I can't properly source it!

Anyway, I'm still removing that info, as well as the info regarding his use of feedback as that's also inaccurate.Stratpod 21:50, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

It was the bassguitar on a recording of Marty Robbins' 1961 single "Don't Worry". The channel on the mixing board was broken so it created a Fuzz like effect. Glenn Snoddy, the engineer of that recording has been credited for the invention of the Maestro Fuzz Tone. Lenzwerf (talk) 23:00, 13 July 2019 (UTC)

References

Monicker

How'd he get to be called "Link"? Maikel (talk) 21:09, 27 May 2010 (UTC)

Short for Lincoln. --Saddhiyama (talk) 21:33, 27 May 2010 (UTC)

Section 'native American ancestry'

I changed the text "Wray recorded one of the better covers of the song 30 years later, somehow finding new life in this mythic, minor-key, guitar/drum dialogue which by then was also associated with everyone from The Ventures to the Incredible Bongo Band." because it was opinionated and, in my view, unencylopaedic. It now reads "Wray recorded a cover of the song 30 years later, which by then was also associated with everyone from The Ventures to the Incredible Bongo Band." If you can source a quote saying it was one of the better covers, then by all means add it in. Richard Jackson (talk) 21:40, 5 May 2011 (UTC)

Link Wray was of Shawnee ancestory...it should be in the article. 66.169.95.50 (talk) 06:00, 2 January 2016 (UTC)

He's now described as "a Shawnee rock and roll guitarist" in the first sentence. So presumably it's wrong to describe him just as an "American"? Is the prominent use of this ethnicity justified? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 13:13, 5 August 2019 (UTC)

According to MOS:CONTEXTBIO, the way I understand it, in the opening par of this article and the other Wray articles should say he is American (nationality), with Shawnee (ethnicity) placed in the bio section. Design (talk) 07:58, 4 August 2020 (UTC)

That is correct, and I have changed the first sentence of the lede to read "...was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist of Shawnee ethnicity...". Carlstak (talk) 15:09, 4 August 2020 (UTC)

Following up on this years-old thread, no proof has been furnished for Link Wray or his family having any Shawnee ancestry. Yuchitown (talk) 22:57, 8 August 2023 (UTC)Yuchitown

Wray's Time in Washington DC

Based on the current version of the article, it would appear Wray was born in NC, spent some time in the military then ended up in San Francisco in the 1970s. There's practically no mention of the fact that he was based out of the Washington DC area (including suburban Maryland) in the late 1950s and 1960s -- a time during which he was arguably doing his most popular work. Looking at the history of the article, some mention of the DC connection was in the section on "Rumble," but apparently that got moved when "Rumble" got its own entry(?). Is there someone capable of adding a section on his early career in DC? I know places I can find the information, but I don't know whether I could use the information, due to copyright issues. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.139.76.226 (talk) 19:42, 29 May 2013 (UTC)

Do you have any idea where in Maryland he stayed? Lonepilgrim007 (talk) 05:37, 3 June 2013 (UTC)

To whom it may concern,

It was I believe the summer of 1963 in Alexandria VA. at the Franconia Firehouse...when...I personally witnessed the very moment while setting up my drum set to play with Link Ray and the Raymonds' when Link took a pocket knife from a fireman that was there on duty and slashed the speakers from behind of his brand new amplifier. This was because he was unhappy with the sound. This was as I declare the origin of the destorsion....not as claimed in a recent episode of Jeopardy that Ray Davis of the Kinks originated. 2600:1700:4290:AC0:40C0:4C80:A754:52A8 (talk) 00:21, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

Interesting, an I believe you. But you understand we can't take anyone's word for the purposes of putting material in an article. It has to be something each reader can check. Now, if you could get a reliable publication to print your recollection, we could use that. Herostratus (talk) 07:02, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

Hard Rock

Link wray popularized distorted power chord in his 1958 single Rumble. I think he is pioneer of Hard Rock. So i added genre "hard rock." LSM1204 (talk) 15:23, 15 July 2017 (UTC)

Any such genre change or addition needs to be based on a reference from a WP:RS - not what "you think" - Arjayay (talk) 15:54, 15 July 2017 (UTC)

Lead section - power chord

The lead section says this: ".. his 1958 instrumental hit "Rumble" by Link Wray & His Ray Men popularized "the power chord, the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists".

But User:Lenzwerf, in their hidden comment, makes a perfectly valid point. The AllMusic source (which should be linked to the Biography section here), by Cub Koda says this: "Quite simply, Link Wray invented the power chord, the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists" ... and then this: "Link's follow-up to "Rumble" was the pounding, uptempo "Rawhide." The Les Paul had been swapped for a Danelectro Longhorn model (with the longest neck ever manufactured on a production line guitar), its "lipstick tube" pickups making every note of Link's power chords sound like he was strumming with a tin can lid for a pick." So I think some adjustment is needed. And why do we have this referenced detail about the power chord appearing only in the lead section? Martinevans123 (talk) 22:38, 12 July 2019 (UTC)

Nice to pick this up, trying to figure out the polite way to contribute to this. Anyway, the power chord is just two notes. Robert Johnson used the 1 and fifth, alternated with one note higher than the fifth in 1936 (sweet home chicago) so Link Wray did not invent it. I can hear powerchords in 'Chicken run', 'Dueces Wild', 'Hang On' and some other songs but to say he uses them so differently than Bo Didley or other pioneers of Rock and Roll is one step too far for me. Even on a people are surprised about wiki and others naming Link Wray as the power chord inventor. Lenzwerf (talk) 00:05, 14 July 2019 (UTC)

Looking again at that Cub Koda piece, he says this: "Link Wray may never get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but his contribution to the language of rockin' guitar would still be a major one, even if he had never walked into another studio after cutting "Rumble." Quite simply, Link Wray invented the power chord..." This seems to me to be a categorical claim that the power chord was invented by Wray in that song. You may be perfectly right. If you can find a source that says Robert Johnson invented it in "Sweet Home Chicago", you need to present it here. But the article makes only the lesser claim that he "popularised" the power chord. Not sure how we accommodate your claim that "Rumble" is the wrong example. Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 09:55, 14 July 2019 (UTC)

p.s. In the meantime I have copied the detail, together with the sources (and the hidden note), into the main body, as it can't just appear in the lead section alone. Martinevans123 (talk) 10:09, 14 July 2019 (UTC)

References

Probably not Shawnee

Is there any proof that Link Wray was actually Shawnee or Native American at all? The Shawnee Tribe seem to say he isn't Shawnee. Bohemian Baltimore (talk) 13:50, 14 October 2021 (UTC)

Definitely not a tribal member and no Shawnee ancestry either. Yuchitown (talk) 20:04, 14 October 2021 (UTC)Yuchitown

He's in the cat "American people of Shawnee descent". Looking over the article, and this, looks like we should move him to self-identified. - CorbieVreccan ^☊ ☼ 19:25, 11 December 2022 (UTC)

For those unfamiliar with Native American identity, please read WP:NDNID. There are three Shawnee tribes: Absentee Shawnee, Eastern Shawnee, and Shawnee Tribe, all based in Oklahoma. Link Wray and his family are not citizens of these three tribes and have no documented affiliation with any of these three tribes. Family lore of Native American ancestry without any proof is ubiquitous throughout the nation but does not constitute a Native American identity; tribal citizenship does. Additionally, Shawnee genealogists have looked at his family tree and concluded he doesn't even have remote ancestry. The burden of proof does not lie on the tribes or the public to demonstrate that the claim is false, the burden of proof relies on the claimant to demonstrate it is true. No one in Link Wray's family has done so. Yuchitown (talk) 22:56, 8 August 2023 (UTC)Yuchitown

Can you please source the Shawnee genealogists research here? I’m glad you didn’t bring up the Census records since Natives back then changed their race to escape persecution. 2600:100C:A218:92ED:43C:DD1B:7D14:DCA (talk) 13:16, 1 February 2024 (UTC)

Per WP:OR and that Wikipedia prefers verifiability over truth.(WP:TRUTH). 2600:100C:A218:92ED:43C:DD1B:7D14:DCA (talk) 13:16, 1 February 2024 (UTC)

Luckily, in this case what is verifiable is true. We can verify that Link Wray did indeed self-identify as having Shawnee ancestry. And that is the extent of what can be verified on that subject. Yuchitown (talk) 23:12, 1 February 2024 (UTC)Yuchitown

Share the source here please. Don’t just mention it here. Source it. 2600:100C:A218:92ED:F12F:43C3:3510:AA77 (talk) 05:14, 2 February 2024 (UTC)

Yes he did self identify as Shawnee. BUT your claim of genealogists has not been backed up with a reliable source. 2600:100C:A218:92ED:F12F:43C3:3510:AA77 (talk) 05:15, 2 February 2024 (UTC)

That is original research. But the thrust of the matter is for any claim of Shawnee ancestry there would have to be citations to substantiate the claim coming from a source that did not originate from Link Wray or his immediate family. Yuchitown (talk) 00:18, 3 February 2024 (UTC)Yuchitown