{"id":7384,"date":"2014-03-21T14:55:07","date_gmt":"2014-03-21T18:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.slammie.com\/atomicgrog\/blog\/?p=7384"},"modified":"2014-05-02T15:46:56","modified_gmt":"2014-05-02T19:46:56","slug":"dick-dale-the-most-interesting-man-in-rock-n-roll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slammie.com\/atomicgrog\/blog\/2014\/03\/21\/dick-dale-the-most-interesting-man-in-rock-n-roll\/","title":{"rendered":"Dick Dale: The most interesting man in rock ‘n’ roll"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people know him as the “King of the Surf Guitar,” and for his enduring hit song Miserlou<\/em>, popularized in the soundtrack to Pulp Fiction<\/em>. But there’s a lot more to Dick Dale, the seemingly indestructible rock ‘n’ roll legend who will be making his SunFest debut this year at age 77 on Wednesday, April 30.<\/p>\n

\"Dick<\/a>
Legendary guitarist Dick Dale performs live on his 2013 tour at Grand Central in Miami on April 25, 2013.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March 2013 interview:<\/strong> Cancer survivor, rock legend Dick Dale: ‘I had both feet in the grave’<\/a><\/p>\n

Dale is still battling the ravages of cancer that sidelined him for several years. But he’s made an amazing comeback, touring relentlessly and hitting South Florida clubs for the past three years. Now he finds himself on the main SunFest stage opening for Kid Rock.
\n[See the April 30 schedule]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But if you know anything about Dick Dale, his resilience should come as no surprise. Over the course of nearly 60 years in the music business, he has established himself as a renaissance man determined to live life to the fullest, without drugs and alcohol. You probably know that Dale invented surf music and helped Fender develop the modern guitar amp, but here are a few more fascinating facts about a fascinating man:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

* Before playing electric guitar, Dale learned the drums, ukulele and trumpet. He has also mastered the banjo, piano, organ, harpsichord, trombone, xaxophone, harmonica, xylophone and accordion. He claims that he rarely picks up the guitar, except when going on stage. And though known mainly as an instrumentalist, he also sings lead vocals in his current band.<\/p>\n

* He started in the music biz in 1955 as a DJ in California, then played alongside Johnny Cash, Ernest Tubb and Gene Autry on a country music TV show.<\/p>\n

* He was the first rock guitarist to perform on television’s iconic Ed Sullivan show in the early 1960s (see video below).<\/p>\n