Jim Marshall, the man who is most likely responsible for that ringing in your ears, has died at the age of 88.
Jim Marshall
Dr. Jim Marshall OBE was known as “the father of loud”.
Marshall owned a music store in Hanwell, west London. He sold drums before branching out into guitars. The year was 1960. Jim’s customers would often tell him that they need to amplify their sound. Jim recruited 18-year electronics apprentice Dudley Craven to develop a prototype and that became the Marshall Amp. Soon after, people like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton started to use his equipment, making his name.
In 1984, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Jim the Queens Award for Export for his contribution to the British Economy. In 2003, she further awarded him the O.B.E.
At marshallamps.com, the following obituary has been published:
It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved founder and leader for the past 50 years, Jim Marshall. While mourning the Guv’nor though, we also salute a legendary man who led a full and truly remarkable life.
Jim’s ascent into the history books as ‘the Father of Loud’ and the man responsible for ‘the Sound of Rock’ is a true rags-to-riches tale. Cruelly robbed of his youth by tubercular bones, Jim rose to become one of the four forefathers responsible for creating the tools that allowed rock guitar as we know and love it today to be born. The ground breaking quartet also includes the late, great trio of Leo Fender, Les Paul and Seth Lover – together with Jim, they truly are the cornerstones of all things rock.
In addition to the creation of the amps chosen by countless guitar heroes and game changing bands, Jim was also an incredibly humble and generous man who, over the past several decades, has quietly donated many millions of pounds to worthy causes.
While the entire Marshall Amplification family mourns Jim’s passing and will miss him tremendously, we all feel richer for having known him and are happy in the knowledge that he is now in a much better place which has just got a whole lot louder!
Rest in Peace & thank you Jim.
Your memory; the music and joy your amps have brought to countless millions for the past five decades; and that world-famous, omnipresent script logo that proudly bears your name will always live on.
