Jimi Hendrix and George Fullerton to be Inducted into 
Fender Hall of Fame

Honorees to be inducted Aug. 13, 2010, during fourth annual Fender Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Fender Musical Instruments Corp. (FMIC) is proud to announce that it will honor rock legend Jimi Hendrix and founding employee George Fullerton at its fourth annual Fender Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Fri., Aug. 13, 2010, at the Tempe Center of the Arts in Tempe, Ariz.

The Fender Hall of Fame was created in 2007 as an annual celebration of Fender^® founders, artists, leaders, innovators and other historically significant figures, and as an institution in which their contributions to the company’s legacy are permanently commemorated.

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

Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC, is the central figure in preserving and protecting the ongoing legacy of her legendary stepbrother, Jimi Hendrix. As the head of the Hendrix estate for nearly a decade, she will be present at the induction ceremony that afternoon to accept the honor on behalf of Jimi Hendrix and the Hendrix family.

Over a career spanning nearly half a century, world-famous recording producer and engineer Eddie Kramer is well known as the man who recorded Jimi Hendrix; playing an integral role in recording every seminal Hendrix album from the 1967 debut Are You Experienced to 1971’s The Cry of Love. Kramer is unquestionably one of the most renowned and well-respected producer/engineers in rock history; his work has also included famous albums for the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Peter Frampton and many other artists.

Fender’s own Geoff Fullerton is the son of George Fullerton, one of Leo Fender’s best friends, first employees and key right-hand men during Fender’s original 1940s-1960s golden age. A generation later, Geoff Fullerton has lent his own talents as a builder to the Fender Custom Shop in Corona, Calif.; he remains there today and will be on hand at the induction ceremony to accept the honor on behalf of his father and family.

The fourth annual Fender Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will also feature a musical performance by noted blues guitarist/singer/songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd, ably backed by premier electric blues drummer Chris Layton, formerly of Double Trouble and also known for his work with a variety of artists including Storyville, Arc Angels, Doyle Bramhall II and many others.

ABOUT THE INDUCTEES:

In the mid-1940s, 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.

George Fullerton reported to work at Fender on Feb. 2, 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.