Obituary: Dick Dale

Noted guitarist Dick Dale, 81, died yesterday.

He and his longtime wife were messes healthwise:

Dale told The Malibu Times in 2015 that he and wife Lana were both struggling with health conditions, but being on tour not only kept their spirits alive but also helped pay their medical bills.

'We're both dealing with ailments,' Dale said. 'Lana has multiple sclerosis, a tumor in her throat, fibromyalgia ... I've been dealing with cancer for 20 years, diabetes, renal failure. We've been doing it all on our own.'

He also said that many of his fans are suffering with the same issues, and being on stage was mutually beneficial.

In no way is this guitarist to be confused with the singer, Dick Dale, who appeared on the Lawrence Welk Show for many years.  THAT Dick Dale really WAS born Dick Dale, or, technically, Richard L. Dale, in 1926 and died in 2014.  He actually had rights to call himself Dick Dale, but apparently singers and musicians aren't under any kind of rules like actors used to be.  THIS Dick Dale wasn't even born with that name but instead was born Richard Anthony Monsour in 1937.

According to that reliable source, Wikipedia, Monsour or Dale was not responsible for the stage name.  While he was playing around bars, a guy named Texas Tiny, no doubt a Lawrence Welk fan, decided to call Monsour "Dick Dale," supposedly because he thought that was an appropriate stage name for a country musician.

My guess is Texas Tiny had heard of the singer.

In any case, THIS Dick Dale became famous for surf rock in the early 1960s.