On February 7, we received the following sad news from NAMM‘s Dan Del Fiorentino:
Jim Dunlop passed away last night, ending a very special era in music.
He started the Dunlop Manufacturing company in 1965 in Benicia, California, and followed his dream to provide quality products for fellow musicians. Along the way he created the Dunlop Cry Baby, an innovative wah-wah pedal for the electric guitar. Jim focused on the accessories market and put out a line of capos, guitar slides and a new brand of plastic guitar picks he named Tortex, among other products. Over his long career Jim also served as a mentor to many of his employees who have developed their own careers throughout the music industry.