As a little kid I had a girlfriend, and her boyfriend used to beat me up, so then I used to sing these songs, and that's what it's all about. Country music is all about your heart and your people and things like that.
Dick Dale

Buddy Rich was one of the most incredible technicians in the world, on this planet, but the only people he could really impress, who knew what he was doing was another musician or another drummer.
Dick Dale

Every song is like a painting.
Dick Dale

Every time I went into the studio some engineer tried to impress me with how they're going to capture my sound with all kinds of tricks. But they limited the sound and never allowed me to play how I felt.
Dick Dale

Guitar Player Magazine says Dick Dale is the father of Heavy Metal, blowing up 48 amplifiers, creating the first power amplifier.
Dick Dale

I almost had to have my leg amputated because of an infection.
Dick Dale

I always felt people should live with animals.
Dick Dale

I always wanted a guitar. I always wanted to be a cowboy singer because I also listened to Hank Williams, and he would always sing these neat romantic songs.
Dick Dale

I became stereotyped.
Dick Dale

I called it Rockabilly 'cause I was rocking the strums, which you're not supposed to do.
Dick Dale


I can play every instrument there is, every horn, I've played all the saxes and trumpets and everything and keyboards.
Dick Dale

I don't claim to be a musician, I didn't go to Julliard.
Dick Dale

I don't play pyrotechnic scales. I play about frustration, patience, anger. Music is an extension of my soul.
Dick Dale

I grew a love for helpless, defenseless things. People would give me lions and jaguars. I had cheetahs, monkeys.
Dick Dale

I met Leo Fender, who is the guru of all amplifiers, and he gave me a Stratocaster. He became a second father to me.
Dick Dale

I told them if were going to do it were going to do it right, I'm not leaving 'til it's done. My wife, child and I slept in the studio. We cut these raw.
Dick Dale

I used to be a mean maniac. Someone once threw a firecracker at a show and I jumped off the side of the stage and whacked 'em on the side of the head.
Dick Dale

I wanted to put a sheet in explaining what all the songs are about, but they didn't do it.
Dick Dale

I'll just tell you the way it is. You ask me what time it is and I'm gonna tell you how to build a clock.
Dick Dale

I'm a perfectionist. I'm not going to cheat the people.
Dick Dale