Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConOutfest LASTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Dick Dale(1937-2019)

  • Actor
  • Composer
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Dick Dale
Hailed as the "King of Surf Guitar, " Dick Dale virtually galvanized the surf rock sound in the 1950s. An avid surfer and accomplished musician, Dale and his band, 'Dick Dale and the Del-Tones', appeared in several of the ever-popular "Beach Party" teen flicks starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon during the 1960s. Although interest in surf rock waned in the 1970s, Dale has enjoyed a successful comeback during the 1990s, due in part to Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994), which featured Dale's 1962 hit "Misirlou". Among his many awards and honors, Dale was inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame in 1996 and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by "L.A. Weekly" in June of 2000 for his contribution to music. Despite a heavy touring schedule that takes him through the US and around the world, Dale finds time to spend with his nine-year-old son, Jimmy, on the 80-acre family ranch in Twentynine Palms, California.
BornMay 4, 1937
DiedMarch 16, 2019(81)
BornMay 4, 1937
DiedMarch 16, 2019(81)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 1 win & 1 nomination

Photos10

Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, John Ashley, Dick Dale, and Jody McCrea in Muscle Beach Party (1964)
Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale

Known for:

Kurt Russell in Escape from L.A. (1996)
Escape from L.A.
5.7
  • Soundtrack("Scalped")
  • 1996
Johnny Depp in The Rum Diary (2011)
The Rum Diary
6.1
  • Soundtrack("Surfing Drums")
  • 2011
Paul Reubens, Frankie Avalon, Bob Denver, Annette Funicello, Don Adams, and Stevie Ray Vaughan in Back to the Beach (1987)
Back to the Beach
5.9
  • Dick Dale
  • 1987
Beach Party (1963)
Beach Party
5.7
  • Band Singer
  • 1963

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (2005)
    Aloha, Scooby-Doo!
    • Special Musical Guest (voice)
    • Video
    • 2005
  • Local Boys (2002)
    Local Boys
    • Rick
    • 2002
  • Frank Jimison, Freddy Rible, and John Weisbarth in The Treasure (1990)
    The Treasure
    • Magician
    • 1990
  • Paul Reubens, Frankie Avalon, Bob Denver, Annette Funicello, Don Adams, and Stevie Ray Vaughan in Back to the Beach (1987)
    Back to the Beach
    • Dick Dale
    • 1987
  • Muscle Beach Party (1964)
    Muscle Beach Party
    • Dick Dale
    • 1964
  • Beach Party (1963)
    Beach Party
    • Band Singer
    • 1963
  • Let's Make Love (1960)
    Let's Make Love
    • Elvis Presley (uncredited)
    • 1960

Composer

  • Bruce Lee in Bruce the Challenge (2016)
    Bruce the Challenge
    • Composer
    • 2016
  • The True Meaning of Christmas Specials (2002)
    The True Meaning of Christmas Specials
    • Composer
    • TV Movie
    • 2002
  • Rocket Jockey
    • Composer
    • Video Game
    • 1996

Soundtrack

  • Lena Olin, Carol Kane, Logan Lerman, Louis Ozawa, Jerrika Hinton, Kate Mulvany, and Tiffany Boone in Hunters (2020)
    Hunters
    • performer: "Hava Nagila"
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • Zeit.geschichte (2011)
    Zeit.geschichte
    • performer: "Misirlou" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • Briarpatch (2019)
    Briarpatch
    • writer: "Spanish Kiss"
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Preacher (2016)
    Preacher
    • performer: "The Wedge Paradiso"
    • writer: "The Wedge Paradiso"
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • The Sara Cox Show (2019)
    The Sara Cox Show
    • performer: "Misirlou" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Cole Sprouse, Ashleigh Murray, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, K.J. Apa, and Madelaine Petsch in Riverdale (2017)
    Riverdale
    • performer: "The New Victor"
    • writer: "The New Victor"
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Armchair Britain (2018)
    Armchair Britain
    • performer: "Misirlou" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Cannonball (2017)
    Cannonball
    • performer: "Misirlou" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2017
  • It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC (2015)
    It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC
    • performer: "Misirlou"
    • TV Movie
    • 2015
  • Lakis Papadopoulos and Leonardo Thimo in Leo & Tony's Parody Center Show (2011)
    Leo & Tony's Parody Center Show
    • performer: "Misirlou"
    • TV Series
    • 2015
  • Leonardo Thimo in 8th Indie Fest of YouTube Videos (2020)
    That's Life!! Kilorenzos Smith in Talks... Corona-virus? So What?
    • performer: "Misirlou"
    • TV Series
    • 2013
  • Declan Donnelly and Anthony McPartlin in Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002)
    Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
    • performer: "Misirlou" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2013
  • Leonardo Thimo in Captain Jokes Parrot's Adventures (2013)
    Captain Jokes Parrot's Adventures
    • performer: "Misirlou"
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2013
  • Graham Norton in The Graham Norton Show (2007)
    The Graham Norton Show
    • performer: "Misirlou" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2013
  • Rock 'n' Roll High School 101
    • performer: "Miserlou"
    • TV Series
    • 2012

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Last.fm
    • MySpace
  • Height
    • 6′ (1.83 m)
  • Born
    • May 4, 1937
    • Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  • Died
    • March 16, 2019
    • Loma Linda, California, USA(undisclosed)
  • Spouses
      Lana? - March 16, 2019 (his death, 1 child)
  • Other works
    CD: "King of the Surf Guitar: The Best of Dick Dale & His Del-Tones" (Rhino Records)
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Article

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    In 2004 was on tour with his son Jimmy Dale, a 12 year old who can play some of his dad's lightning-fast guitar solos note for note
  • Trademarks
      His "Misirlou" instrumental cover version
  • Nickname
    • King of Surf Guitar

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Production art
List
The Best Movies and Series in July
See our picks
Production art
List
New and Upcoming Sci-fi & Fantasy
See our picks

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Demo reel thumbnail
Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel
Demo reel thumbnail

How much have you seen?

Keep track of how much of Dick Dale’s work you have seen. Go to your list.

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.