Jim Marshall (Marshall Amplifiers) Birthday - TIMH

Hendrix, Townshend, Van Halen, Page, Randy Rhoads, Dave Mustaine, Angus and Malcolm, Alex Lifeson, Kerry King, Slash, Nigel Tufnel, Clapton, Jeff Beck, John Mayall, Zakk Wylde, John Fusciante, Tom Morello, Billy Gibbons, Michael Schenker, Rich Robinson, and thousands upon thousands of other guitar players can be heard playing the products invented by the man being honored today.

The Lord of Loud, James Charles Marshall, was born today in London in 1923. A sickly boy, Marshall would start playing drums during the big band era. His childhood illnesses kept him out of World War II and he had some success singing and drumming during that time. Marshall had a bit of electrical engineering knowledge, and didn't have the boomingest of voices, so he built himself an amplifier so he could be heard above his drums (hold that thought).

After the war Marshall began giving drum lessons and counted among his pupils Mitch Mitchell, who would later play in the Jimi Hendrix Experience. By 1960 he owned a successful music shop and among his customers were Pete Townshend and Ritchie Blackmore. Townshend wanted an amp that would allow him to be heard over the drums of Keith Moon and began pestering Marshall to start making amps.

After a whole lotta loving tinkering among Marshall and his crew the JMT45 amplifier was born in 1963 and rock and roll music was changed instantly. The new Marshall amp delivered much more distortion and feedback, which was perfect for the grittier sound rock would soon deliver. (Musicians of TIMH, help me out here with your technical knowledge and opinions.)

Marshall would absolutely explode as a company soon after and continue to deliver revolutionary products that inspired millions to pick up an electric guitar. Along with Les Paul and Leo Fender, there probably aren't too many more folks on the equipment side that had such a massive impact on the music we love.

Marshall died on April 5, 2012 and is still honored today on the anniversary of his death by guitarists the world over eschewing a moment of silence in favor of a minute of feedback.