Jimi Hendrix to be inducted into the Fender Hall Of Fame

Jimi Hendrix will be inducted into the Fender Hall Of Fame on 13 August 2010 at the Tempe Center Of The Arts in Tempe, Arizona.

Jimi Hendrix at the Hollywood Bowl, 1968. Image: © William James Warren/Science Faction/Corbis

This will be the fourth such event of its kind. The Fender Hall Of Fame was created in 2007 as an annual celebration of Fender founders, artists, leaders, innovators and other historically significant figures key to company's legacy.

Special guests at the 2010 induction ceremony will include Janie Hendrix, Eddie Kramer, Geoff Fullerton, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Chris Layton.

In a statement, Fender noted that "James Marshall 'Jimi' Hendrix (1942-1970) is universally hailed as the greatest electric guitarist in the history of rock and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. In the annals of rock history - and especially in Fender history - he towers above all others as an artist whose life and work were as phenomenal as the era which he helped to define and personify.

With his Stratocaster guitar slung upside down and his artful and inventive use of distortion, feedback, and other effects, Jimi Hendrix bequeathed to the world an artistic legacy so powerful that he has transcended mere stardom to become a worldwide cultural phenomenon that endures to this day."

Also being inducted into the Fender Hall Of Fame is George Fullerton, who played a pivotal role in shaping Fender's instruments and direction during the golden age of the '40s through the '60s.

In the same statement, Fender said that "as a gifted artist and working musician with a keen interest in electronics, George became friends with Leo Fender. The two men eventually became business associates after Leo personally enlisted George to sign on with the fledgling guitar and amplifier company.

"With his artistic sense and natural ability to translate ideas into practical processes and machinery on the shop floor, Fullerton contributed to the creation of several of the most important musical instruments of the 20th century, including the Telecaster, Stratocaster, Precision Bass and Jazz Bass guitars.

Above: George Fullerton (1923-2009)

"George Fullerton reported to work at Fender on 2 Feb 1948, after performing several years of side work for Leo. He ran the small shop and supervised the crew during those first formative years, bringing a congenial, family-like atmosphere to the feisty young company.

"He became vice president in charge of production in April 1959, and from that early era through the 1960s, he remained both well liked by everyone at Fender and steadfastly loyal to Leo, with whom he remained a lifelong friend and business partner long after both men retired from Fender in 1970."