@jmyrlefuller "Whereas LL Cool J was a million times no, Link Wray is a million times yes, if only because he practically invented the distortion guitar that made rock music what it would become."
No, it was the volume knob that invented it. If not Link Wray there were a million waiting in line right behind him.
And Fender Musical Instruments Co. Heard, Were Aghast, and spent until 1981 trying to kill it by loading down their amps with all manner of, quite literally, idiot designed circuitry to Stop them from distorting.
And in so doing opened the American Market to Marshall in 1963, who were under no such similar delusions.
Fender's distortion limiting circuitry were the kind of improvements only a 5 year old would think of putting into an audio amp, and the result was that Fender amps, with each successive 'improvement', just got brighter, thinner, and horrendously constipated sounding.
Which shouldn't come as a surprise since Leo Fender never learned how to play a single note on the guitar.
In the early days everybody, mgt. too, actually Worked, (in open top Dilbert style cubicles) and when Leo was working on a amplifier his co-workers would wait till he went to the can, sneak into his cubicle and tune his guitar to an open chord, like a lap steel, rather than listen to him flail away testing his amp work. Doubtful he even knew the difference.