Photo Credit: Del Casher / Bandcamp
Music pioneer and Elvis collaborator Del Casher, who invented the widely used wah-wah pedal, has passed away at the age of 88.
Del Casher, a pioneering guitarist and the inventor of the wah-wah pedal, best known for his work with Elvis Presley, has passed away. He was 88. Casher’s death was confirmed by a close friend who started a GoFundMe page for his wife, Eiko.
“Over the last year, Del battled cancer and passed away on October 1,” wrote AL Burg. “Eiko is now facing overwhelming financial and personal challenges at a time when she should be surrounded by peace, care, and stability.”
“Your donations will help Eiko pay down huge credit card debt and move into assisted living, where she can have safe housing and the increasing care she needs. Please share your blessings and kindness for Eiko,” the fundraising page’s statement continued.
Casher was best known for his work as a session musician for Elvis and other iconic artists like Jerry Lewis. He played guitar on Elvis’ “Roustabout” and Jerry Lewis’ “The Patsy.” The guitarist was also known as an inventor in the music scene, most of all with the wah-wah pedal, used by numerous bands and artists, including Guns N’ Roses, Chicago, Isaac Hayes, Jimi Hendrix, and Cream.
Casher once said he had been a longtime Elvis fan but always “knew he was a fake guitar player,” something he came to find out that the King of Rock and Roll freely admits. He also spoke of his first time talking to Elvis.
“I’m playing my guitar, and I’m going through some of my guitar solos I worked on, (and) I was doing one of those solos I had been working on, on ‘The Lawrence Welk Show,’” said Casher. “I was playing it, and I noticed Elvis has not left, and he was staring at me.”
Casher assumed this meant Elvis didn’t like the music, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“He came slowly up to me and said very politely, ‘Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt you, but may I say something? Well, I’ve been listening to you play guitar, and I just want you to know that I’d give everything if I could play guitar like you.’”
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