The man hailed as the King of Surf Guitar has had rectal cancer twice. He’s currently in renal failure and refuses to go on dialysis, and he suffers from diabetes and from vertebrae that are so damaged “that every time I stand up it’s like a double-edge sword going into my spine.”
“I can’t stop touring because I will die,” Dale says. And he’s not saying that as the long-time performer who can’t give up the spotlight and the intoxicating adoration of his fans. Rather, he emphasizes, “Physically and literally, I will die.”
“I have to raise $3,000 every month to pay for the medical supplies I need to stay alive, and that’s on top of the insurance that I pay for,” Dale explains.
I saw him play in Brooklyn about two weeks after that article was published. He was obviously sick, walked with a cane, needed help getting on stage, and his wife sat there on the stage with him...
I saw him play in Brooklyn about two weeks after that article was published. He was obviously sick, walked with a cane, needed help getting on stage, and his wife sat there on the stage with him for the entire set. I think he even had an oxygen tank nearby in case he needed it. But he still played like a demon!
From 2015: At 78 and with myriad health issues, surf-rock legend Dick Dale plays through the pain
I saw him play in Brooklyn about two weeks after that article was published. He was obviously sick, walked with a cane, needed help getting on stage, and his wife sat there on the stage with him for the entire set. I think he even had an oxygen tank nearby in case he needed it. But he still played like a demon!
This guy got me into instrumental rock, what a legend. RIP