What We're Reading Now!

By Tara Low

Leo Fender: The Quiet Giant Heard Around The World

By Phyllis Fender & Randall Bell

This is her tribute to the man that we all know as the genius that amplified a solid body guitar, impacted the sound of music, and became a household name and iconic figure in the music industry; but, to her, he was simply her husband, my “Leo.”

Leo Fender: The Quiet Giant Heard Around the World is a lovely tribute from Phyllis Fender to the simple yet complex man who impacted the world of music.

The reasoning behind the book?

In the introduction, Mrs. Fender explains that there’s a plethora of books on the market today behind the iconic Fender guitar, but she wanted the world to learn more about the man behind the guitar.

Co-written with Randall Bell, Ph.D., he and Mrs. Fender spent countless hours at Polly’s Pies in Fullerton, California, sifting through documents and photos, researching and making notes of the memories they both shared from their time spent with Leo Fender. Dr. Bell grew up in the same neighborhood as the Fenders and his father led the R&D department for Fender, so he was very familiar with the life and times of Leo Fender.

This treasure of work walks us through Leo Fender’s life from his birth to his ultimate demise in 1991, as told by his second wife, Phyllis Fender, through the memories and stories Leo shared with her, from his meager beginnings and upbringing on a farm in Fullerton, California, to persevering through physical disabilities and his relentless desire to pursue an education and to learn about anything mechanical. He took a chance at opening his own radio repair shop after being laid off from several accounting jobs, and through his hard work and determination, he ultimately became the inventor of some of the finest amps and electric guitars in the world, creating a company that would dominate the music industry for years.

He was simple, humble, unassuming, a smart businessman, entrepreneur, inventor, workaholic, world-renowned individual, award winner, husband and father, and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Recipient, but it was his relentless pursuit of perfection and his deep love for music (and the angels that brought us that music) and his guitars that catapulted Fender to its iconic status that lives on today.

Phyllis Fender lovingly refers to Leo Fender throughout the book as “my Leo.” The book is not all about the guitars. It’s about Leo Fender, the man. It’s easy to read, full of history, and features photos depicting the Fender Radio Repair shop in Fullerton, symbols of the Fender name throughout Fullerton, photos of the Fender plant, his family and vacations, his office at the G&L plant, which is exactly as he left it, and rock stars with Fender guitars. It ends with what they refer to as a “driving tour” of Fender’s life, showing the schools he attended, the modest homes he lived in, and even his favorite “Sizzler” restaurant.

Book Reviews

Reading this book, being involved in the music industry, and having lived in Southern California, I thoroughly enjoyed the photos and history of Fullerton. I even had to take a trip to Fullerton on my last visit to California to see some of the sites myself! I recommend the book to anyone wanting to learn more about the man behind this iconic brand. (Leadership Institute Press; 2017; $14.99)

We Were Going to Change The World: Interviews with Women From The 1970s & 1980s Southern California Punk Rock Scene

By Stacy Russo

Librarian, educator, poet, and writer Stacy Russo of Southern California brings us a collection of interviews and photographs from women immersed in the Southern California Punk Rock scene during the ‘70s and ‘80s. What makes Russo’s publication interesting is the fact that the subjects interviewed were not just the musicians from that era but the photographers, writers, and fans, which provided another perspective.

The Foreward is written by bassist Mike Watt, best known for his work with rock bands Minutemen, Dos, Firehouse, Big Walnuts Yonder, Banyan, and The Stooges. He speaks of those days with his buddy D. Boon experimenting with music and how they stumbled upon the punk rock scene. He attributes his inspiration to pursue his musical career in this genre to the women he witnessed on stage performing - in particular, one woman, Alice Bag.

The inspiration behind Russo’s book? She was struck with the idea after attending an oral history workshop by the social justice organization Voice of Witness. She herself grew up in the Southern California punk rock scene during that time and knew how it had impacted her life. She wondered how it had affected others like her and what attracted them to the scene in the first place. And where are they now?

So, it began. After countless hours of research, conducting and editing interviews over several years, and some self-reflection, Russo delivers an informative, moving, and empowering resource about the life and times of the women involved in the punk rock movement in Southern California. What drove their desires, their passions, their angst?

The book contains 37 interviews, photos, and a glossary. Several influential musicians from that time will include Exene Cervenka, who was featured in the exhibit “X: 40 Years of Punk in Los Angeles” at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles late last year, as well as Alice Bag, Kira, Phranc, Johanna Went, Teresa Covarriubias, and Jennifer Precious Finch. Many other musicians, writers, photographers, DJs, and fans are also included. (Santa Monica Press; 2017; $16.95)