Life Dick Dale, the King of Surf Guitar who wrote ‘Miserlou,’ dead at 81 March 18, 2019Lindsey Bahr and John Rogers, The Associated PressComments Off on Dick Dale, the King of Surf Guitar who wrote ‘Miserlou,’ dead at 81 The King of the Surf Guitar died Saturday night. Dick Dale liked to say it was he who invented surf music. Some critics have said he was right.