Ventures member dies at 82

NEW YORK — Bassist-guitarist Nokie Edwards, a longtime member of surf-rock pioneers the Ventures, has died at 82, a spokesman for the group said.

The Ventures were an instrumental group founded in Seattle in the late 1950s. Their sound influenced the Beach Boys, among others, and were best known for recording the theme for TV’s Hawaii Five-O.

The band enjoyed renewed attention in the 1990s after Quentin Tarantino featured their song Surf Rider on the soundtrack to his hit film Pulp Fiction.

Edwards was born Nole Floyd Edwards in Lahoma, Oklahoma. He was a professional guitar player by age 12. He continued to tour in recent years, and also appeared in the HBO drama Deadwood.