Chuck Norris refuses to 'rumble' until Link Wray's Second Coming

Born May 2nd, 1929 in Dunn, North Carolina, Link is three quarters Shawnee Indian. At the age of eight, he learned to play the guitar from Hambone, an African-American man who was travelling with Barnum and Bailey’s circus. He noticed Link on the porch banging his Maybelle-guitar. (Click the title to see Link's birthplace.)

At the age of fifteen, Link paid twenty dollars a night to sit in with the country and western musician Tex Ritter (High Noon) in order to further his musical knowledge. He also played with Wild Bill Elliot.

1945-47 Link played western swing with Sheriff Tex Davis, who wrote Be Bop A Lula, for Gene Vincent. Link played with his brother Doug and first cousin Shorty Horton.

1953 While playing with Jimmy Dean, Link received advance guitar instruction from Chick Webb. Link also played at the Hank Williams memorial that year. (Link knew Hank’s mother.)

1955 Link is invited home by Elvis Presley on a couple of occasions.

1956 In Fredricksburg, Virginia a fight broke out in the audience and while onstage, like a bolt of lightening, Link got the idea for the instrumental Rumble.

2005 November 21 Link dies in Copenhagen. Skol! Happy Days!