Greatest Innovator?
Innovator - to introduce something new; make changes in anything established.
Who has effected popular American culture more than anyone else?
Thomas Edison? Henry Ford? Bob Dylan?
How about the man without who popular American music would not exist in its current form? Rock, blues, country, soul, pop, jazz, swing, etc all use products he either invented or developed: The solid-body electric guitar; the solid-body electric bass; industry standard amplifiers.
His 1951 introduction of the electric bass (and the bass amp) fundamentally changed all popular music. The electice guitar that he invented in 1948 is still the sound that defines country music to this day . The guitar he invented in 1954 is still the most popular electric guitar today. The amplifiers he designed between 1955 and 1965 are industry standards and virtually all amps made today are influence by them, and many are direct copies.
Leo Fender owned about 75 patents and his products not only define popular American music, they made it possible.
