Richard Anthony Monsour, known professionally as Dick Dale, was born on May 4, 1937, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was an influential American rock guitarist, recognized as a pioneer of the surf music genre. Dale's innovative style was characterized by his use of Middle Eastern music scales, rapid alternate picking, and heavy reverb, which defined the sound of 1960s surf culture. Known as "The King of the Surf Guitar," he inspired numerous musicians, including Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen.

Dale's early life was shaped by his diverse cultural heritage, with a Lebanese father and a Polish-Belarusian mother. He began playing the piano at age nine and later picked up the guitar, developing a unique style influenced by his early experiences with Middle Eastern music and instruments. In 1954, his family moved to Southern California, where he became an avid surfer and began to blend his love of the ocean with his music, leading to the creation of surf rock.

In the early 1960s, Dale and his band, the Del-Tones, gained popularity performing at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach, California. Their single "Let’s Go Trippin’" is considered the first recorded surf rock instrumental, and their rendition of "Misirlou" became Dale's signature song. His collaboration with Leo Fender led to the development of new guitar equipment, including the first 100-watt amplifier, which contributed to his powerful sound.

Dale's music saw a resurgence in the 1990s when "Misirlou" was featured in Quentin Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction. He continued to perform and record until his death on March 16, 2019, in Loma Linda, California. Dick Dale's legacy as a groundbreaking musician and his contributions to the evolution of rock music remain influential to this day.