Link Wray Parents: Meet Fred Lincoln Wray Sr. & Lillian Mae

Link Wray is the son of Fred Lincoln Wray Sr and Lillian Mae.

Wray’s parents, Fred Lincoln Wray Sr. and Lillian Mae Coats provided the backdrop against which his early life unfolded. Wray often spoke of the challenging conditions he faced during his childhood—a stark contrast to the glamour of the stages he would later grace with his guitar. Mud huts served as the family’s shelter, and the absence of electricity and heating added to the hardships they endured.

The Wray family’s connection to the Shawnee tribe, as identified by Wray’s son, adds a layer of cultural richness to his origin story. This heritage, woven into the fabric of Wray’s identity, would later find expression in some of his musical compositions that paid homage to Indigenous peoples, such as “Shawnee,” “Apache,” and “Comanche.”

The harsh realities of discrimination also marked Wray’s early years. The Ku Klux Klan, a symbol of racial animosity and violence, cast a shadow over Wray’s family, compelling them to hide at times. Wray’s recollections of these challenging moments shed light on the systemic racism that permeated the society in which he grew up.