I knew my hometown of Dunn, N.C., was famous for a couple of reasons. One was native son General William C. Lee, the "Father of the Airborne." (We even have a yearly celebration to honor this "other" General Lee.)
I was somewhat surprised years later to realize that Jack Kerouac name-dropped Dunn in "On The Road."
But I was floored when I found out -- years after I had left the city -- that one of the founding fathers of rock and roll was a Dunn native. Link Wray, the man responsible for the power chord, is from my hometown. Wow.
The power chord, for better or worse, revolutionized rock music. And while Wray is not in the Rock Hall of Fame, his surf music contemporaries The Ventures were just announced as new inductees. The Ventures even covered some Wray songs back in the day.
It should also be noted that the Rock Hall of Fame website has a list of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll.
Making the list? "Rumble," by Dunn's own Link Wray.
Here's to you, Mr. Wray.
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