On March 16, musician Dick Dale passed away, after having been treated for heart and kidney failure. The musician was 81.
Known as "The King of Surf Guitar," Dale was known for combining Middle Eastern influences with surf music, and made the genre popular in the 1960’s. He also was known as "The Father of Heavy Metal," thanks to his use of loud amplifiers and heavy gauge strings, along with his use of reverberation (the persistence of sound after the sound is made).
Dale’s best known song was his cover of the Eastern Mediterranean song “Misirlou.” While the song was originally released in the 1960s, it became immensely popular in 1994 when it was prominently used in the opening credits of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. The song has gone on to be almost synonymous with the film, and is unofficially known as “the Pulp Fiction theme song,” and the song was widely used to parody the movie in several films and TV shows.
Dale initial success only lasted briefly in the 1960s, with his other well-known song being “Let’s Go Trippin’.” Once the British Invasion took off in 1964, Dale’s popularity waned, though he continued to perform live. He last recorded an album in 2001, and performed live all over the country ever since.
Dale had tour dates scheduled at the time of his death, performing on a regular basis due to the fact that he had trouble paying his medical bills. The famed musician had a series of medical issues through most of his life that grew worse towards the end of his life.
While Dale wasn’t a film score composer, he gave us one of the most iconic movie theme songs in film history, and his legacy will on in both the music and the movie world.
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