Jimmy Page first appeared in a video montage about Wray, who died in 2005. When the video ended, Page was on stage in person at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn ― complete with his iconic double-necked cherry Gibson:
“Rumble” has the unusual distinction of being perhaps the only instrumental ever to be banned from radio, as some felt the title alone could incite violence.
“The nation at that time, anxious over sudden spikes in juvenile delinquency, was eager to drum out anything that could be cited as an instigator,” the Library of Congress notes.
Page, who called Wray “my hero,” wrote on Facebook that he first heard the song when he was 14.
“As a guitar instrumental the attitude of it was totally unique in its mystery, imagination and execution — it had a profound effect on me,” he wrote. “Link Wray and Rumble stand alone at the pinnacle in the world of instrumentals.”
He added that he was “thrilled” at the chance to perform the song.
His former Zeppelin bandmate Robert Plant has kept up a much more rigorous touring schedule, both on his own and with Alison Krauss, with whom he has released two albums.
(this story has not been edited by TSA Mag staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
