LINK WRAY 

TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME 

ON NOVEMBER 3rd, 2023 AT BARCLAYS CENTER IN NEW YORK

The Upcoming Induction Ceremony will be streamed on Disney +  And Broadcast on ABC

New York, NY - Link Wray will be a featured inductee at this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. He will be the recipient of the Musical Influence Award. The 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is taking place Friday, November 3rd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.  For the first time in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame history, the upcoming Induction Ceremony will be broadcast live coast to coast on Disney+ from Brooklyn, New York, on FRIDAY, NOV. 3 (8:00 p.m. EDT/7:00 p.m. CDT/6:00 p.m. MDT/5:00 p.m. PDT), and will be available to stream following the ceremony. ABC will air a special featuring performance highlights and standout moments on MONDAY, JAN. 1, 2024 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EST).

In addition to Link Wray, other Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees include; Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Chaka Khan, and Willie Nelson who will perform, as well as special guests Brandi Carlile, Dave Matthews, Elton John, H.E.R., Chris Stapleton, St. Vincent, New Edition, and more to be announced. Tickets for the General Public are available on ticketmaster.  The 2023 inductees announcement was originally made on May 3, 2023 and streamed live on Apple Music 1 where the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced Link Wray for the Musical Influence Award. “This year’s incredible group of Inductees reflects the diverse artists and sounds that define rock & roll,” said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. To be eligible, artists are required to have released their first record 25 years prior to Induction.

Link Wray's 1958 instrumental hit "Rumble" by Link Wray & His Ray Men not only popularized "the power chord," but also sparked the emergence of punk rock and heavy metal. The rebellious sonic onslaught of “Rumble” which was originally banned from radio because of it’s title, became a Top 20 hit in the United States and echoed across the Atlantic influencing the first generation of British guitar heroes. Wray subsequently released many more legendary instrumental classics that would change rock & roll forever. 

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame states, “If there is one musician with an overriding influence over all rock guitarists – from 1960s British rock to 1970s punk to 1980s hardcore to 1990s grunge – that musician is Link Wray…. With a DIY ethos and an electric intensity unlike any other guitarist, Wray was undoubtedly ahead of his time. He embraced sounds that had rarely been heard before – distortion, fuzz, tremolo, and wah-wah effects – all of which have become staples of the rock guitar. Wray was the original punk, the inventor of the power chord, and the architect of a sound that laid the foundation for every genre that relies on raw, untamed music to convey its message”.

Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray, Jr., was born on May 2, 1929, in Dunn, North Carolina. Link Wray was of Shawnee heritage. Raised in North Carolina, Fred Lincoln Wray, Jr., was first joined by his brothers in a band that played a mix of country and rockabilly music. While his family suffered racial discrimination due to their Native American background, Wray later honored his heritage in songs like “Comanche”, “Apache” and “Shawnee.”   Wray continued recording and performing well into his seventies until his death on November 5, 2005. Both Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen performed Wray's "Rumble" in concert as a tribute to the influential musician upon learning of his death.

Prior to this induction, Link Wray has received two previous nominations from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On January 15, 2006, the Governor Of Maryland declared “Link Wray Day” at the first Link Wray Tribute. That same year, Link Wray was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from First Americans In The Arts. In 2007, Link Wray was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame presented by musician Steven Van Zandt with a tribute performance held by Wray’s grandson Chris Webb and Native American guitarist Gary Small. In 2008, “Rumble” was added to the archives of the Library of Congress. In 2009, Link Wray was inducted into the Southern Legends Music Hall Of Fame in Oklahoma. On May 2, 2013, Dunn, NC declared May 2nd “Link Wray Day”. In 2014, Link Wray was first nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall Of Fame. Dunn, N.C. also puts up a “Historical Marker” in honor of Link Wray. That same year, Vince Ray designs a Link Wray Signature Guitar  for Eastwood Guitars. In 2016, Link Wray is inducted into the Baltimore, Maryland Music Hall of Fame. In 2017, the documentary, “Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World,” was released and Link Wray receives his second nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 2021, Rolling Stone names Link Wray as one of their top 100 Greatest Guitarists. Link Wray’s impact is heard in generations of British and American guitarists including; Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen and Pete Townshend. Page said that Link Wray had a "real rebel attitude" and credits him in the documentary, "It Might Get Loud”  as a major influence in his early career. Pete Townshend once said, "If it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I never would have picked up a guitar." Link Wray’s music continues to be heard on radio and in numerous films and TV shows, such as; “Pulp Fiction,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “Blow,” “Desperado,” “Independence Day”, “The Fabelmans” “Poker Face,” “Father Stu” and “Reservation Dogs”.

Link Wray’s daughter, Beth Wray Webb expresses; “My family and I are just so excited about Dad finally getting in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I’d like to thank those at the Rock Hall as well as Link Wray’s fans, the musicians and everyone who played a part in helping our father get into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Then there is Stevie Van Zandt, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck who did that commercial for Fender Guitar with his sister listening to “Rumble” before he passed, and Slash starting off with “Rumble” when kicking off the Guns and Roses 2022 tour. I can go on and on but I know this wouldn’t be happening if it wasn’t for them all. Today, Dad would be so honored and humbled to receive this special recognition. I will be proud to be  there representing my father and my family.” Beth’s two sons also continue in her father’s music tradition. In addition to Chris Webb who released a CD in honor of his Grandfather entitled, “Fire and Brimstone: A Tribute To Link Wray", her other son, and Link’s other grandson, Tommy Webb, is also a musician who took the Spiritual side after his Grandfather, and regularly plays at his Church.

For Interviews with Link Wray’s eldest daughter, Beth Wray Webb, please email; linkwrays1stdaughter@yahoo.com, or for more information on Link Wray, contact  Nativemusicawards@gmail.com or call/text (917) 468-1176.