[3] His style and music influenced guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Eddie Van Halen and Brian May.

[3][4] He has been credited with popularizing tremolo picking on electric guitar, a technique that is now widely used in many musical genres (such as extreme metal, jazz fusion, etc.).

[5] His speedy single-note staccato picking technique was unrivaled until guitarists like Eddie Van Halen entered the music scene.

[7] Working together with Leo Fender, Dale helped to develop new equipment that was capable of producing thick and previously unheard volumes including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.

[9] The use of his recording of "Misirlou" by Quentin Tarantino in the film Pulp Fiction led to his return in the 1990s, marked by four albums and world tours.

He was also nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance category for the song "Pipeline" with Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Dale's performances at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa in mid to late 1961 are credited with the creation of the surf music phenomenon.

Dale obtained permission to use the 3,000 person capacity ballroom for surfer dances after overcrowding at a local ice cream parlor where he performed made him seek other venues.

[29] The Rendezvous ownership and the city of Newport Beach agreed to Dale's request on the condition that he prohibit alcohol sales and implement a dress code.

The album was picked up by Capitol Records and distributed nationally, and Dale soon began appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and in films where he played his signature single "Miserlou".

[33] Dale and the Del-Tones performed both sides of his Capitol single, "Secret Surfin' Spot" in the 1963 movie Beach Party, starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.

In 1987, he appeared in the movie Back to the Beach, playing surf music and performing "Pipeline" with Stevie Ray Vaughan.

[35] In 1993, he recorded a guitar solo for the track "Should Have Known" released as a vinyl single by the Southern California indie band, The Pagodas.

[39] The same year, he recorded a surf-rock version of Camille Saint-Saëns's "Aquarium" from The Carnival of the Animals for the musical score of the enclosed roller coaster, Space Mountain at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

In 2000 the U.S. House of Representatives elected Dale into the Library of Congress Hall of Records for outstanding achievements in music.

[44]In June 2009, Dale began a West Coast tour from southern California to British Columbia, with approximately 20 concert dates.

He was scheduled to play the Australian One Great Night On Earth festival to raise funds to benefit those affected by the Black Saturday bushfires and other natural disasters.

[46][47] He had many health issues, including diabetes, kidney failure, and vertebrae damage that made performing excruciatingly painful.

[citation needed] Together, they created a musical revue and toured at resorts in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe.

From the proceeds, the couple made successful investments in nightclubs and real estate, allowing Dale to purchase his three-story 17 room dream mansion at "the Wedge" in Newport Beach.

Dale credits Jill for his transition from surf music to a more raw and stripped-down style that consisted of just him and two other musicians.