Longtime bassist Sam Bolle confirms the death of the surf rock legend, who had been battling rectal cancer and diabetes prior to his passing.
- March 18, 2019
AceShowbiz - Surf rock legend Dick Dale has died, aged 81.
The musician, dubbed the King of the Surf Guitar, passed away over the weekend, according to his longtime bassist Sam Bolle.
A cause of death has not been revealed but the guitarist was battling rectal cancer and diabetes.
Dale, who inspired today's guitar greats, was behind hits like "Miserlou", which featured in the opening credits sequence of Quentin Tarantino's cult movie 'Pulp Fiction".
Real name Richard Monsour, Dale was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1937. He moved to California in 1954 and developed an obsession for surfing. Combining his passions, he formed the Del-Tones to create hits like "Let's Go Trippin'" and "Miserlou".
Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eddie Van Halen both cited Dale as a major inspiration.
In 2015, he was named one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in a Rolling Stone poll.
