News of Another Music Legend’s Death Just Surfaced: RIP to Del Casher

Del Casher, a decorated musician who invented the wah-wah pedal, has died.

A native of Hammond, IN., Casher passed away in early October at the age of 88.

TMZ shared news of his passing on Monday.

In addition to the wah-wah pedal IN 1967, Casher was also the man behind the Fender Electronic Echo Chamber. The chamber produces reverberation and is still regularly used when bands are recording.

Casher didn’t just invent musical equipment; he also played instruments including guitar.

His guitar talent led to Casher performing with bands across the country and on television. He played on the famed Lawrence Welk Show, appeared in Elvis Presley’s movie, Roustabout, The Patsy, which starred Jerry Lewis, and several other TV shows and films.

Because of Casher’s skill playing the guitar and wah-wah, he was invited to accompany The Three Suns on tour and join the likes of Mothers of Invention and Sonny and Cher on stage for performances.

Additionally, Casher extended his reach to composing music, another era in which he excelled. His musical competition kept him in the Hollywood and media scenes where he composed the theme for NBC’s Nightly News and music for several movies, such as 24 Hours to Midnight, Action U.S.A., Tropical Heat, Showdown, and more.

Following his death, a GoFundMe was started to assist Casher’s widow, Elko, financially. The page’s organizer posted Elko’s struggles, writing in part, “This fundraiser is for the memory of Del Casher (Delton Edward Kacher) to support his wife, Eiko. Del was my next door business neighbor and close friend of 40 years. After the heartbreaking loss of her husband, Del (inventor of the Wah-Wah pedal and several other music and electronic items), Eiko finds herself in serious financial distress.

Over the last year, Del battled cancer and passed away on October 1st. Before that loss, COVID devastated his sound studio business and forced his to sell valuable guitars and equipment just to survive. During that difficult time, they also had to take out a reverse mortgage on their home. Now, with the home’s value having decreased, the loan balance is more than 70% of its current value. Eiko is now facing overwhelming financial and personal challenges at a time when she should be surrounded by peace, care, and stability.”

The GoFundMe has a goal of $14,000 with more than $4,000 having been raised at the time of publication.