Dick Dale: guitarist of the "king of surf rock" who died at the age of 81

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American rock guitarist Dick Dale, whose song Misirlou appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, died at the age of 81, according to reports.

Dale, known for creating a music style badociated with surf culture, died Saturday night, according to the Guardian.

His genre of music, launched in the early 1960s, inspired many electric guitarists and his career lasted more than five decades.

The cause of death is not yet known.

Dale bbadist Sam Bolle has confirmed the news at the Guardian.

Celebrities and fans have paid tribute to the musician called "The King of Surf Guitar", many describing him on social media as a "true innovator".

American actor Seth Rogan presented his condolences in a tweet in which he described Dale's music as "wonderful".

Dale, whose real name is Richard Anthony Monsour, was born in Boston in 1937. His instrumental music was influenced by his Lebanese heritage.

When he was a young boy, he tried to learn trumpet and ukulele, thinking that he could follow in the footsteps of country singer Hank Williams. But he then bought a guitar for $ 8 from a friend.

When he was 17, his family moved to Southern California when his father found a job in the aerospace industry and Dale became a pbadionate surfer.

In 1961, he began playing in the seaside town of Balboa, south of Los Angeles, where he developed his percussion style, first playing on a right-handed guitar, although he was left-handed.

A year later, he played his version of Misirlou – a Greek folk song – at the Ed Sullivan show. More than three decades later, Tarantino made the song famous again when he used it at the very beginning of Pulp Fiction.

In an interview with Vice News in 2012, at the age of 75, Dale describes his fight against cancer and diabetes and explains why he continued to show himself against the advice of doctors.

"They say I should never be on stage, I should not play," he said, adding, "My medical bill amounts to more than $ 3,000 a month to buy supplies that I have to buy for my body. "

He also congratulates his wife, Lana, in the interview, as "the one who brought me back".

He is survived by Lana and his son, Jimmie.