Renowned pickup maker/guitarist/performer Bill Lawrence passed away November 2. He was 82. Born Willi Lorenz Stich in Germany, he began to play guitar as a teen inspired by the records of Oscar Moore, Barney Kessel, and Les Paul. He earned a reputation locally for his guitar playing, and in 1948 wound a pickup that would help him be heard above the horns and drums played by post-war jazz bands. Using the stage name Billy Lorento, his reputation grew as he performed on American military bases throughout Europe, where he shared stages wtih Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Sam Cooke, Dinah Washington, and other noted stars of the era. By the early ’60s, his stage name had morphed to Bill Lawrence and he became a Fender endorser.
