Dick Dale

Dick Dale (born May 4, 1937, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.—died March 16, 2019, Loma Linda, California) was an American rock guitarist and pioneer of the surf music genre known for his percussive playing style and innovative use of the reverb amplifier effect. He is also widely known as the “King of Surf Guitar,” a nickname that fans gave him early in his career. Dale inspired generations of musicians across a variety of genres, including the Beach Boys, the Cure, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Early life

Dale’s distinctive style and sound was influenced by his rich cultural heritage. His father, James Monsour, was of Lebanese descent and worked as a machinist, and his mother, Sophia (née Danksewicz) Monsour, was of Polish descent and worked as a homemaker. Dale grew up in a Quincy, Massachusetts, community with a significant population of Lebanese immigrants. He was exposed to Middle Eastern music and instruments from a young age, and he often listened to his uncles play the oud (a stringed instrument similar to the lute), which inspired his interest in different methods of picking stringed instruments and incorporating Arabic musical scales.

Dale began playing the piano and ukulele at an early age before taking up the guitar. In 1954 his family moved to southern California, where he became an avid surfer. He also began to develop the signature guitar sound he is now known for, which was based on his desire to combine the percussive rhythm of swing music drummer Gene Krupa, his first musical idol; the rushing sound of the surf; and the intricate patterns and intervals of Middle Eastern and eastern European melodies.

Career

In the early 1960s Dale and his backing band, the Del-Tones, began performing regularly at the Rendezvous Ballroom, a popular spot for surfers and beachgoers in Newport Beach, California, and they quickly gained a devoted following. Their performances routinely sold out and are credited with creating the surf music genre.

In 1961 Dick Dale and His Del-Tones released the Deltones Records single “Let’s Go Trippin’,” which is considered to be the first recorded surf rock instrumental. In 1962 the group released its rendition of the eastern Mediterranean folk song “Misirlou,” which would become Dale’s signature song. In that same year, Dale and the Del-Tones issued their trailblazing debut album, Surfer’s Choice. It attracted the attention of Capitol Records, which distributed the album nationally. Dale and his band signed a contract with Capitol, and their second album, King of the Surf Guitar, was released in 1963. The band performed “Secret Surfin’ Spot” and “Surfin’ and A-Swingin’ ” in the 1963 film Beach Party and went on to perform three songs in the 1964 film Muscle Beach Party (both films starred actors Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello). The band followed King of the Surf Guitar with four more albums: Checkered Flag (1963), Mr. Eliminator (1964), Summer Surf (1964), and Rock Out with Dick Dale and His Del-Tones: Live at Ciro’s (1965).

It was during this period that Dale made another pioneering contribution to the music world. In his efforts to attain more volume while maintaining clearly defined tones, Dale partnered with Leo Fender, the founder of Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, to develop a guitar amplifier that could handle the demands of Dale’s playing style. Their collaboration led to the creation of the first 100-watt guitar amplifier, called the Dual Showman.

In 1965 Dale was dropped by Capitol Records after the British Invasion gained prominence over the popular music scene. He temporarily retired from music after being diagnosed with rectal cancer in 1966. He resumed performing after recovering from the disease, but by then he had developed other interests, such as caring for endangered animals and studying martial arts, and he played only occasionally.

Are you a student?

Get a special academic rate on Britannica Premium.

Subscribe

A comeback in 1986 brought Dale moderate success after he released the album Tigers Loose and recorded a rendition of the Chantays’ classic surf instrumental “Pipeline” with guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Their version of “Pipeline” was featured in the 1987 comedy film Back to the Beach (which also starred Avalon and Funicello) and received a Grammy Award nomination for best rock instrumental. In the early 1990s, Dale signed with HighTone Records and released the highly acclaimed album Tribal Thunder (1993).

In 1994 Dale experienced a major resurgence in popularity when his signature song “Misirlou” was featured during the opening credits of director Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster crime film Pulp Fiction. “Misirlou” became associated with the popularity and perceived hipness of the film and was featured in numerous commercials and television shows, which introduced Dale’s music to a new generation of listeners and created a new fan base. Dale released two more albums, Unknown Territory (1994) and Spacial Disorientation (2001), and he continued performing until his death. The cause of his death was not determined but may have resulted from health issues related to heart disease and kidney failure.