It is probably not too great an exaggeration to say that pretty much every notable guitarist (certainly in the fields of pop and rich music, at least) has at some time owned or played a Fender Stratocaster.
Several factors lay behind the development of the Stratocaster. One was Leo Fender's desire to understand the requirements of his customers — the working musicians who had been using his Telecasters night after night. A second factor was the launch in 1952 of the Gibson Les Paul, a shiny, exotic beast that contrasted markedly with the crude simplicity of the Telecaster. It was clear that Fender needed to produce an upmarket alternative.
Critical to the development was the input of western seing guitarist Bill Carson, a working musician who'd had several years experience with the Telecaster. He provided a wish list fot his dream instrument, which included individually adjustable saddles, at least three pickups, a vibrato arm that could work in both directions, and a body shape that could be played comfortably when both standing and sitting. Fender, along with George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares, turned Carson's inventory into a reality, an in doing so came up with an iconic design that would very soon alter the world's musical landscape.