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ABOUT
Born Richard Anthony Monsour in Boston in 1937, Dick Dale was raised by a Lebanese father and a Polish mother. This upbringing exposed him to folk music from both cultures, styles that would later influence his groundbreaking brand of surf music which featured Middle Eastern and Eastern European melodies. The family moved to Southern California in the late ‘50s, introducing Dale to an extra-curricular activity that changed his life: surfing. When he wasn’t in the water, he taught himself the drums, ukulele, trumpet and guitar.
Known as the “King of the Surf Guitar,” Dale essentially pioneered the genre and possessed a talent that is seen by many as unrivaled. His 1961 single, “Let’s Go Trippin’,” is generally acknowledged to be the first recorded surf tune, and his 1962 groundbreaking album, Surfer’s Choice, is both his and the genre’s debut full-length. Features in Life magazine and appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and the Frankie & Annette film Beach Party solidified the surf genre in the mainstream. Its popularity died down after the arrival of the British invasion from across the pond, but resurgence was seen when Dale’s “Miserlou” was used as the opening theme for Quentin Tarintino’s 1994 cult classic, Pulp Fiction.
Dale is best known for his distinctive style of instrumental guitar-playing, most notably his single-note staccato picking technique. As a left-handed musician, he taught himself guitar on a right-handed model, turning the guitar upside down but not re-stringing. He became so used to this configuration that when he finally acquired a left-handed guitar, he re-strung it upside down. His desire to create a then unheard of sound with his instrument led to a close working relationship with Leo Fender. The two kept designing bigger and better sound systems that pushed the limits of electric amplification technology, eventually paving the way for the use of portable reverb effects.
Outside of music, Dale’s other interests include studying martial arts, obtaining a pilot’s license, and engaging in environmental activism after a pollution-related surfing injury. He considers health a top priority and as such never consumes alcohol, drugs, or red meat.
WEBSITE
www.dickdale.com |
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