Dick Dale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dick Dale
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Dale in 2013
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Richard Anthony Monsour |
| Also known as | The King of the Surf Guitar |
| Born | May 4, 1937 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 2019 (aged 81) Loma Linda Hospital, Loma Linda, California, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1955–2019 |
| Labels | Capitol, GNP Crescendo Records, Deltone |
| Associated acts | Del-Tones |
Richard Anthony Monsour (born May 4, 1937 – died March 16, 2019), known as Dick Dale, was an American rock guitarist. He was a pioneer of surf music, a type of rock music that sounds like the ocean. He used Middle Eastern music styles and experimented with a sound effect called reverb. This effect makes music sound like it's in a big, echoey space.
Dick Dale was known as "The King of the Surf Guitar." This was also the name of his second music album. He was one of the most important guitarists of the early 1960s. Many famous surf music bands, like The Beach Boys and The Trashmen, were inspired by his music. They even played his songs on their albums. His unique style also influenced other guitar legends such as Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen.
Dale helped make a guitar technique called tremolo picking popular. This is when you pick a guitar string very fast, up and down. He also pushed the limits of how loud electric guitars could be. He worked with Leo Fender, who created Fender guitars and amplifiers. Together, they developed new equipment, including the first 100-watt guitar amplifier. This helped make music much louder than ever before.
In the 1990s, his song "Misirlou" became famous again. It was used in the movie Pulp Fiction. This led to Dick Dale releasing new albums and going on world tours. He was even nominated for a Grammy Award for his song "Pipeline" with Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Dick Dale was born Richard Anthony Monsour in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 4, 1937. His father's family was from Lebanon, and his mother's family was from Poland and Belarus. His family later moved to Quincy, Massachusetts.
He started learning piano at age nine. In seventh grade, he got a trumpet. Later, he bought a ukulele and was inspired by country singer Hank Williams. He also learned to play the tarabaki, a type of goblet drum, from his uncle.
Dale then bought a guitar for $8. He learned to play both lead and rhythm guitar, making his guitar sound like a full band. His fast drumming on the tarabaki influenced his quick guitar picking style. He called this fast picking "the pulsation."
In 1954, when he was in eleventh grade, his family moved to El Segundo, California. His father got a job at an aerospace company. Dick Dale finished high school in California and learned to surf at age 17. His interest in Arabic music and his love for surfing greatly influenced his unique surf rock sound.
Music Career
The 1960s: King of Surf Guitar
Dick Dale started playing in country music bars in 1955. A musician named Texas Tiny gave him the stage name "Dick Dale."
Dale used special music scales in his playing that were not common in Western music. He also used a lot of reverb, which became a key sound in surf guitar. Since he was left-handed, Dale played a right-handed guitar upside-down without changing the strings. This was a very unusual way to play!
He worked closely with Leo Fender, the famous guitar maker. Dale would test new equipment, pushing it to its limits. He often made amplifiers blow up because he played so loud! This led Fender to create stronger amplifiers and speakers, like the first 100-watt guitar amplifier. This helped Dale play at volumes no one had heard before. Because he pushed the limits of loud music, some people called him the "Father of Heavy Metal."
Dick Dale's performances at the Rendezvous Ballroom in California in 1961 were very important for surf music. He got permission to use the large ballroom for surfer dances, which quickly became famous "stomps" and sold out.
His song "Let's Go Trippin'" was one of the first surf rock songs. He released more songs on his own record label. His first full album, Surfers' Choice, came out in 1962. It was later released nationally by Capitol Records. Dale then appeared on TV shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and in movies, playing his famous song "Miserlou." He said that when he first played "Miserlou," people started chanting and stomping. This was the start of the "surfer's stomp" dance. His second album was called "King of the Surf Guitar."
Dale said that the powerful feeling he got from surfing was transferred into his guitar playing. He wanted his music to sound like the power of the ocean.
Dick Dale and his band, The Del-Tones, also performed in movies like Beach Party (1963) and Muscle Beach Party (1964).
Later Career and Comeback
Surf rock's popularity slowed down in 1964 when the "British Invasion" (bands like The Beatles) became popular. Dick Dale continued to perform, but he also faced health challenges.
In 1987, he appeared in the movie Back to the Beach, playing surf music and performing "Pipeline" with Stevie Ray Vaughan.
His song "Misirlou" became famous again in 1994 when it was used in the movie Pulp Fiction. This brought his music to a new audience. He also recorded a surf-rock version of a classical song for the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland.
Dick Dale was honored many times. He was inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame in 1996. In 2000, he was recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives for his music achievements. He was also inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009 and the Surfing Walk of Fame in 2011.
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In 2009, Dale went on a West Coast tour with his son, Jimmie Dale, who played drums. Sadly, Dick Dale said he had to keep touring until the end of his life because he needed money for his medical costs. He had many health problems, including diabetes and kidney issues.
Personal Life
Dick Dale was married three times. He had a son named James (Jimmy) in 1992 with his second wife, Jill.
He stopped eating red meat in 1972. He also studied Kenpo karate for over 30 years.
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Dick Dale as the 31st greatest guitarist of all time. In 2011, he was ranked 74th.
Death
Dick Dale passed away on March 16, 2019, in Loma Linda, California. He was 81 years old. He had been treated for heart and kidney problems before his death.
Discography
Studio Albums
As Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
- Surfers' Choice (1962)
- King of the Surf Guitar (1963)
- Checkered Flag (1963)
- Mr. Eliminator (1964)
- Summer Surf (1964)
As Dick Dale
- Tribal Thunder (1993)
- Unknown Territory (1994)
- Calling Up Spirits (1996)
- Spacial Disorientation (2001)
Live Albums
- Rock Out with Dick Dale & His Del-Tones: Live at Ciro's (1965)
- The Tigers Loose (1983)
Soundtracks
- Pulp Fiction (soundtrack) (1994)
Images for kids
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Dale in 2013
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Fender Showman, owned by Dick Dale
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Dale performing in 2006
See also
In Spanish: Dick Dale para niños
