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Recently the legendary performer Buddy Miles referred to Dick Dale as "Leo Fender's test pattern", a reflection on the breakthrough work Dick Dale and the electronic guru of rock, Leo Fender conducted in the mid 1950's by creating the first power amplifiers, forever changing the sound and course of rock music.
Dick's trademark sound combined with his Southern California location and his avid participation in surfing would also influence the changes in popular music. Dick Dale would lead a worldwide obsession with "Surf" music, one of the few uniquely American art-forms to impact global culture.
By the late 1950's, Dick Dale's reputation as a power-performer opened doors with the titans of early television. Dick was soon making appearances across the United States on dozens of shows from The Spade Cooley Show to The Ed Sullivan Show, along with feature film roles which included Dale's legendary appearance in the BEACH PARTY movies praised by the likes of Johnny Ramone. Dick would also land the role of a lifetime alongside Marilyn Monroe in the 1960 classic film, LETS MAKE LOVE.
Dick Dale remained a powerful force throughout the 1960's and '70's becoming one of the first Rock artists to be signed to Capital records. Dale's influence was so great that groups like Jan and Dean, The Beach Boys and Buddy Holly opened for Dale's concerts. Dick Dale even headlined a show with The Rolling Stones at the height of the British invasion.
Through the 1970's and '80's Dick Dale remained true to the sounds he created in his early days as a pioneering guitarist. As a result, Dale was summoned around the world by rock giants to lend his signature sounds in the studio, including legendary sessions with Keith Moon, Brian Wilson, Joe Walsh, Mick Fleetwood, Huey Lewis and the BBC's John Peel who said "Dick was the most exciting session I've done since Pink FLoyd in 1967."
In 1988 Dick Dale and Stevie Ray Vaughan were Grammy nominees together for their new version of "Pipeline" which they recorded for the BACK TO THE BEACH film score.
During the 1990's Dick Dale's influence in the world of film and television remained at the forefront. Dale's music would score more of the top ten most expensive commercials produced worldwide than any other artist. Among these were commercials for; Domino's Pizza, Nissan, Philips, Yamaha and Mountain Dew's-Super Bowl TV Commercial (the 5th most expensive commercial produced in 1999).
College music radio stations across the nation picked up on the Dick Dale buzz. By the mid 1990's Dale's new recordings were finding a young and powerful new fan-base. CALLING UP SPIRITS, UNKNOWNTERRITORY and TRIBAL THUNDER (which received a four and a half star rating in Rolling Stone), all charted high in the independent radio bible- the College Music Journal.
Quentin Tarantino would ignite the publics interest in Dick Dale's music catalog when he fed off of Dale's 1961 masterpiece "Misirlou", useing it as the motivating force behind his blow-out classic film, PULP FICTION. PULP FICTION would win the Cannes Film Festival, and the soundtrack, featuring Dick Dale's "Misirlou", would surpass platinum record sales.
In 2003 Dick Dale received the lifetime achievement award at the Orange County Music Awards. After his acceptance speech Dale invited his son Jimmy Dale on stage to play three Dick Dale classics ending with a heart-stopping version of Dale's '60's hit "The Wedge" which brought the audience to its feet- the evenings only standing ovation.
Dick and Jimmy are currently writing songs for their upcoming performances along with an album they will record this Summer. Dick Dale and his wife Jill, along with their son Jimmy live with four dogs, two horses and a 38 year old White Sulphor Crested Cockatoo named Fred at the Dick Dale Skyranch Airport in Twentynine Palms, California.