Johnny Guitar Watson’s ferocious “Space Guitar” of 1954 pioneered guitar feedback and reverb. His song “Gangster of Love” was first released on Keen Records in 1957. It did not appear in the charts at the time, but later became a hit in 1978 and identified as Watson’s “most famous song”.
Watson died on stage on May 17, 1996, while on tour in Yokohama, Japan. According to eyewitness reports, he collapsed mid guitar solo. His last words were “ain’t that a bitch”, probably in reference to the song “Ain’t that a Bitch”.