Nokie Edwards, a long-time Puyallup resident and lead guitarist for the Tacoma-based influential instrumental rock group The Ventures, died Monday. He was 82.
The Ventures official website reported Edwards had been battling an infection after hip surgery in December.
The Ventures recorded 37 albums between 1960 and 1972, including the theme to Hawaii Five-O. They were also known for Walk, Don't Run, which one writer dubbed a "surf rock standard."
According to multiple reports, Edwards was born in Oklahoma but his family relocated by horse-drawn wagon to Puyallup as they looked for work. It was in Tacoma where Edwards hooked up with guitarists Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. Together they would eventually help form The Ventures.
The Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
