Glenn Snoddy, Musical Engineer, DEAD @ 96

He became known as the accidental inventor of the fuzz pedal, changing the way music sounded and was produced to this day.

Columbia Records artist Marty Robbins was recording a session in 1961 when suddenly a transformer blew in the guitar amp and created a fuzzy, distorted sound. Everyone loved the effect and kept it on the recording.

Smartly, Snoddy built a pedal that replicated the effect and created that sound at the tap of a button. He registered a patent called the Maestro Fuzz-Tone which found its way onto some very popular songs in country music — and really came to the fore when Keith Richards used it on the iconic Rolling Stones song "I Can't Get No Satisfaction."
You can still buy one from the 1960's if you like.  Take a look here:  

https://goo.gl/yAUEmw