Dick Dale
He weaponized reverb and Middle Eastern scales to create the furious, wave-crashing sound of surf rock, directly influencing generations of guitarists.
1937–2019 (age 82)·American surf rock guitarist·Birthday: May 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dick Dale didn't play guitar; he attacked it. A left-handed player who refused to re-string right-handed guitars, he developed a blisteringly fast, staccato picking style to match the power of the surf he loved. In the early 1960s, working with amplifier designer Leo Fender, he pushed equipment to its limits, pioneering the use of heavy reverb to create a wet, spatial sound that defined an entire genre. His 1962 instrumental 'Misirlou,' a frenetic adaptation of a traditional Eastern Mediterranean melody, became his signature—a tornado of sound later immortalized in Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction.' Dale's music was physical and loud, born from a desire to replicate the feeling of being inside a barrel wave. Though the surf craze faded, his influence never did, echoing in the distorted fury of punk and heavy metal. He played with ferocious volume until the very end, a true sonic pioneer.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dick was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Dick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 80
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2019Died at 82
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Pioneered the surf rock genre with instrumentals like 'Misirlou' and 'Let's Go Trippin''.
- Collaborated with Leo Fender to develop the first 100-watt guitar amplifier, as his playing kept destroying lesser equipment.
- Earned the title 'The King of the Surf Guitar,' which was also the name of his influential 1963 album.
- His playing style and use of reverb directly influenced later guitarists in punk, metal, and alternative rock.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished surfer and martial artist, holding a black belt in kenpo karate.
Dale was of Lebanese descent, and he incorporated traditional Middle Eastern musical scales into his surf rock sound.
He was famously left-handed but played a right-handed guitar without re-stringing it, contributing to his unique technique.
He was a vocal advocate for animal rights and operated a sanctuary for rescued big cats.
“I play like I'm dragging my fingers through gravel, trying to hold on.”
