Читать книгу Leo Fender - Phyllis Fender - Страница 7

A Note from Randall Bell

It was a privilege to work on this book with Mrs. Fender.

Like 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.