Slash remembers Jim Marshall in an official statement

Jim Marshall OBE,1923-2012 © Frank Maechler/dpa/Corbis

Slash was one of the many musicians who took to social media yesterday to pay his respects to Jim Marshall, the founder of Marshall Amplification who passed away at the age of 88.

Today, Slash issued a formal statement in which he remembers the man who millions came to know as the Father of Loud. His remarks are as follows:

"I consider myself very fortunate to have known the late Jim Marshall. He was such a fantastic individual.

"Not only did he create the loudest, most effective, brilliant-sounding Rock & Roll amplifier ever designed, but he was a caring, hardworking family man who remained true to his integrity to the very end. His work ethic was unequaled and his passion unrivaled.

"He took great care of me personally, as one of his loyal fans and Marshall Amp enthusiasts, ever since we first met in the early 90's.

"At that time, he did the unprecedented; he had the first-ever Artist Model Marshall series designed for me when my Marshall amps were destroyed in a Guns N Roses concert riot in St. Louis in 1991. We had been friends ever since.

"Jim cared for all his customers like they were his family. He would do whatever it took to make sure an artist was completely satisfied and he made sure his staff did likewise. It was very important to him that Marshall quality and customer care was paramount.

"Jim's passing marks the end of a very loud and colorful era. From Pete Townshend to Kerry King, Marshall Amplifiers have been behind every great Rock & Roll guitarist since the beginning. Marshall Amplification is one of the most enduring, iconic brands of contemporary music history."

This industry will likely never see the likes of Jim again. But his legacy will live on forever."

Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar WorldGuitar PlayerMusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.