Fred Lincoln Wray, was born in Dunn, NC in 1930.
Link and his brothers Vernon and Doug began to play around
Dunn, NC and surrounding towns in the late 40’s.
They played country music of course.
No rockin' in those days.
They had a trusty ole radio tubes and all. Imagine a song just
getting good and the ole tube starts to flicker.
Somebody give that thing a whack.
Today you’d just run in the next room and turn on your extra
CD player with FM already there.
When Link was a kid FM was an unheard of for the most part.
AM only and radios were not such a common commodity.
The Wray family listened to the Grand Ole Opry.
All good rural southern folk listened to the Opry.
You had to hear Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff and by the 1950’s
that new guy from Alabama Hank Williams was singing “Love Sick
Blues,” now there’s a rocker for you!
By 1951, the young Wrays were playing all across eastern North
Carolina, and military bases were becoming very important to them,
because you always got paid and they didn’t have to play in honky
tonks behind chicken wire.
By this time the trio had decided that making music was better
than working in a cotton mill or yarn factory and much, much better
than farming tobacco or even worse life in a tobacco warehouse drying
out stinking tobacco leaves.
Things were working out good for the country lads when Uncle
Sam invited Link to join the Army and visit Korea. While Link was in
the Army in Korea, he contacted TB and became very sick and had to
have one of his lungs removed.
He was discharged and returned to his home in Dunn, NC.
In 1956-1957 the Wray brothers decided to move to Washington,
DC, because country music was real big there.
On the way they stopped by Portsmouth, VA to pick up Shorty
Horton their bass man.
Shorty knew Gene Vincent and they either played a gig with him
or just talked with him.
Shortly never made it clear to me which it was.
Afterward they headed on to Washington, DC and began to play
around town as Lucky Wray and the Palmetto Boys. Their paths crossed
Milt Grants who was a Disc Jockey and he became their promoter and
manager.
However, I don’t ever remember a time when Ray let go
completely his managerial position of the group.
Rock-n-roll was coming into its own and they gave up their
country clothes for coats and ties which the rock-n-roll groups were
wearing and became Link Wray and the Wraymen
.
Ray had a minor hit with “Evil Angel” on Cameo Records out
of Philadelphia and shortly after that in the summer of l958 they
recorded “Rumble” in Nashville.
Except it was called “Odd Ball” there are many versions of
how “Rumble” became “Rumble.” Shorty Horton told me that
Archie Bleyer’s daughter played the record and told her dad it had a
rumbling sound to it.
Be that as it may when the record was released it was under the
name “Rumble" by Link Wray and the Wraymen on the Cadence
Record Label out of Chicago, Il which was owned by band leader Archie
Bleyer.
The recording went on to be a big hit for the group and sold
over a million copies when all was said and done.
Cadence was a good solid record company.
Archie Bleyer had a good reputation for treating his artist
fairly.
However, a dispute occurred and the Wraymen left the company
after only one recording.
The group moved to Epic Records and Rawhide was released.
Rawhide was recorded at Edgewood Studios on Vermont Avenue in
Washington, DC.
It sold good and became another hit for the group.
Shortly afterward a disagreement occurred with the Epic
producers and their A&R department. Link left Epic Records
even though he had two years left on his contract he recorded “Mary
Ann” and “Ain’t That Lovin' You Baby,” but no more
hits happened after “Rawhide.”
An album was released on Epic which was a disappointment to all
concerned.
With time remaining on his Epic contract, Link did no more
recording for the company choosing to record for several small record
companies under different names than his own.
Link worked night clubs in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington,
DC throughout the 60’s and 70’s.
Ray his brother opened a recording studio in Accokeek, Maryland
on a farm and the whole Wray family moved there.
They called their studio Wrays Three Track Shack. After several
years, the band split up Link went solo.
Doug Wray became a barber and moved to Waldorf, Maryland and
Shorty Horton the bass guitar player worked with many bands playing
country music in the Washington, DC area.
Ray closed the recording studio, sold the farm, and moved to
Arizona.
Link
went to work for Robert Gordon and recorded two albums with him in
California.
Link remained in California after his split with Robert Gordon.
By the 90’s Link’s long overdue reputation as the king of
the power chord caught with him and he began to be recognized as the
greatest metallic rock guitarist in the world.
Link Wray can play more guitar in one song than most guitarist
can play in a month.
He is that good and better.
Link Wray is the best rock guitarist of the 21st century.
Why he has not been inducted into The Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame
is their problem.
I suppose they don’t know enough history of rock music to
understand they have left out a legend.
I saw Link Sunday, July 21st play in the French Quarter in New
Orleans, Louisiana. He has a three piece band including his son on
bass. He played all his ole favorites. He was just great. I spoke with
him briefly. We recalled the golden days of the 50's in Washington,
DC. Link said, "Bobby it's great to see and old friend." I
got a hug from one of the most gracious and kind persons I have ever
known. Link Wray is truly a rock legend. And at 73 bless his heart
he's still rockin' as good as ever. Long live Link Wray the ole
Cherokee Chief.
For all
of you who may not know, Link Wray is part Cherokee Indian and is very
proud of his American Indian Heritage.
Special
thanks to Diane Scott of the Continental Club in Austin, Texas and
Cain Burdeau of the Associated Press in New Orleans, LA for helping me
with this article on Link Wray.