so many, I still remember the thrill of unwrapping my first Fender guitar at Christmas. Not only did I love the guitars, but Fender was interwoven into my daily life as a kid. My father led the research and development there. He was a mechanical engineer, complete with a plastic pocket protector, and he loved every minute he worked there. Dad made our kitchen table out of cutaway Stratocaster wood, which we also piled high in the garage and used for bonfires at the beach.
The Fender plant was right down the street, and I went there all the time. Dad introduced me to every person on the production line, where they explained their individual craft in detail. It was an extended family, and Freddie Tavares and his wife Tamar, even played at my sister’s wedding.
Later, my father made my daughter Britten’s dollhouse out of scrap rosewood used for fretboards. I joke that it is the only Fender dollhouse in the world! My parents both had the highest regard for everyone at the company and admired the Fenders themselves, who lived in our neighborhood.
I get it with Leo. My dad and Leo were cut out of the same cloth. Few know who my father is because he was much like Leo. He never showed off. At Fender, everyone was like that. Dad would spend all day with the world’s biggest rock stars and not mention a word about it unless my brother or I hounded him. I begged him to let me know when Jimmy Page would come in, but he didn’t budge.
The world’s icons teach us so much; however, we hit the jackpot with Mr. and Mrs. Fender. Leo is a goldmine of inspiration, and was a class act on every level. I wish that everyone could have the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Fender. Leo was so quiet, that as a kid I likely walked by him many times and never knew it. Yet, Mrs. Fender has never met a microphone that she didn’t like, and that’s great news for all of us! She has a spectacular sense of humor, a gift for storytelling, and a heart of gold. Honestly, I have listened to her for two or three hours at a time—and it is pure joy. Sometimes we laughed and sometimes we cried. Other times, we laughed so hard we cried!
We had so much fun writing this book. We sat for hours in our “office” at Polly’s Pies, went over documents, studied the items in Leo’s office, sorted through photo albums, and stood together to watch the craftsmen at G&L paint my guitar, certainly the most beautiful I have ever seen. We ran all over Fullerton together, exploring the Leo sites. It has been pure bliss.
Mr. and Mrs. Fender are music royalty. She did so much for Leo, and we all are fortunate to have her tell us the inside story. Her family—Paul, Chris, and Jon—have been supportive of their mother and this project. I have immeasurable respect for Mr. and Mrs. Fender. I hope that everyone gets the same joy I have from learning about these two remarkable lives.
CHAPTER 1
The Real Deal
Occasionally, the world produces one of those rare thinkers that alters the course of history. Disney reinvented entertainment, Einstein revolutionized science, Edison lit up our lives with the light bulb, Guttenberg spread knowledge with the printing press, Bell got the world talking with the telephone—and Fender revolutionized music.
If you think about it for a moment, Leo Fender has influenced every person on earth today—at least everyone who has ever heard a song.
Guitar Player magazine declared that Clarence “Leo” Fender is the father of the solid body guitar. Leo’s guitars have been used by everyone from Elvis Presley to Eric Clapton and from Jimmy Page to Jimmy Hendrix. Rolling Stone magazine published a list of the world’s top 100 guitarists, and 91 of them used one of Leo’s guitars on stage. The others used guitars that copied Leo’s inventions and concepts.
The highest price ever spent on music memorabilia was not for Michael Jackson’s glove, original Beatles’ handwritten lyrics or even one of Elvis’ killer pantsuits. It was for a Fender Stratocaster, which sold for a staggering $2.7 million in 2005.
Buddy Holly played a Fender; in fact, there is a picture of his favorite Fender guitar on his gravestone. It’s ironic—they spelled Buddy’s name wrong, but they got the guitar right!
We know so much about so many great lives, but so little about Leo Fender. While the Fender name is known around the world, as an iconic brand practically worshiped by musicians, Leo himself largely remains an enigma. Inside of this little curmudgeon running around the world, there was another side of Leo that most people never saw.
As his wife, that is the side I want to share with everyone. I love guitars. To me, they are beautiful works of art. However, there are already lots of wonderful books written about Leo’s guitars. This book is less about guitars, but more about the man who invented them. This is the story that has never really been told, as my Leo was famously quiet. Leo was certainly not one to toot his own horn and rarely talked to reporters.
Elvis and his Stratocaster with Ann Margaret in “Viva Las Vegas”
Leo was never rude, but he rarely gave autographs or posed for pictures. He was not big on chit chat. He simply had other things on his mind, so very few people really got to know him. Leo turned down hundreds of requests for media interviews, yet thankfully he opened up for Guitar Player magazine in 1978. It is interesting that he turned down national, mainstream television, magazines, and radio. He had no interest in interviews on the Tonight Show, the Wall Street Journal, or 60 Minutes, but he did take the time to talk directly to guitar players through a trade magazine. Leo loved guitar players!
A parade of rock stars and country music legends often visited the Fender and G&L plants. While they all wanted to meet Leo, he was usually too busy designing his next guitar. On one such occasion, Prince refused to leave the G&L plant without meeting Leo, so the team nervously went back to Leo’s office and pleaded with him to come out and speak to him. Leo reluctantly agreed. Prince asked Leo to promise never to make another purple guitar like his. Leo simply smiled and said, “Sure, I’ll do that,” and turned around and walked right back into his office.
Leo was different. He was 100% authentic and a purist for his passion for musical instruments. He only shared his deeper emotions at home. He shunned the typical trappings of wealth and fame. His dedication to his personal mission to make his next guitar even better was so pure, that every daily activity centered on getting into his beloved laboratory to design the world’s greatest instruments.
Leo never created a guitar, amp, or other musical instrument for himself. He could not play a guitar, or even tune a guitar. For health reasons, he reluctantly sold his first company, for a fortune. Yet with millions in the bank, he continued living in a mobile home so that he could run his life with a minimum of distraction. Leo was the real deal, and he stayed true to his love for his instruments and to those who played them. If I had to pick one word to describe Leo, it would be authentic.
Leo Fender did not do any of this for his own glory. Leo loved music, and he crafted musical instruments for you and me so that we could all enjoy the power of great music. Leo truly thought of musicians as the angels who made the world a better place, and he simply wanted to support them. Whenever he spoke to musicians, he always carefully listened and incorporated their feedback into his next invention.
Think about all the great memories in life. The high school prom, driving down the highway with the windows down and listening to your favorite song, a beautiful wedding, a fun party, a smooth jazz club, or an insane rock concert. Leo’s influence was there. Leo is everywhere. Now, for the first time ever, we will enter
