LOS ANGELES — Dick Dale, whose pounding, blaringly loud power-chord instrumentals on songs like “Miserlou” and “Let’s Go Trippin”‘ earned him the title King of the Surf Guitar, has died at age 83. His former bassist Sam Bolle says Dick Dale passed away Saturday night. He played “Miserlou,” “The Wedge,” “Night Rider” and other compositions at wall-rattling volume on a custom-made Fender Stratocaster guitar. As he began to become well known, he began calling himself Dick Dale, explaining years later that a radio disc jockey had suggested it was a better name for a rock star than Richard Monsour. His surfer buddies had already nicknamed him King of the Surf Guitar, a title he said he initially resisted, fearing it would limit his audience.

Source: National Post March 17, 2019 23:37 UTC