The artist's son, Tim Wilson, told People magazine and Washington station KING-TV that his father died early Saturday of natural causes, in Tacoma, Washington, surrounded by his family. .

The Ventures played a prominent role in popularizing the electric guitar in the 1960s and helped create the twangy surf sound that influenced the Beach Boys, among others. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame deemed The Ventures, ushered into the hall's ranks in 2008, "the most successful instrumental combo in rock and roll history.".

The group, which performed as The Impacts and The Versatones before settling on the forward-thinking name The Ventures, is particularly well-known for its '60s hits “Walk, Don’t Run” and “Hawaii Five-O.”.

The Ventures self-released two singles on their Blue Horizon label, including their version of “Walk, Don’t Run,” which debuted in 1960.

The Ventures charted 38 albums in the 1960s and '70s, with 14 singles in the Billboard Hot 100