Les Paul, guitarist and musical innovator who changed the nature of recorded music, has died at 94

By Carrie Melago
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Updated Thursday, August 13th 2009, 12:10 PM

Acclaimed guitar player and inventor Les Paul, whose innovations revolutionized rock 'n' roll, died Thursday of complications from pneumonia. He was 94.

A guitarist since childhood who produced hits with wife Mary Ford, Paul is credited with creating an early electric guitar and inventing multitrack recording, leaving his mark on musicians ranging from Led Zeppelin to the Carpenters.

Paul, whose early electric guitar became the template for Gibson Guitar's bestselling Les Paul model, was surrounded by family and friends when he died at White Plains Hospital.

Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisc., Paul was 13 when he started performing as a honky-tonk guitarist.

Always tinkering with electronics as a kid, Paul began building an electric guitar in the late 1930s that he dubbed "The Log" -- a process that lasted years and nearly led to his electrocution in his Queens apartment in 1940.

"I went into a nightclub and played it. Of course, everybody had me labeled as a nut," he once said.
In 1952, Gibson Guitars proved them wrong, releasing the Les Paul model they still describe as "the most powerful and respected electric guitar in history."

A wildly talented musician in his own right, Paul and his wife earned 36 gold records and 11 No. 1 pop hits during their marriage for songs like "Lover" and "Vaya Con Dios." They used another process created by Paul called overdubbing -- dubbing live tracks over recorded tracks.

Paul was foisted back into the spotlight in February 2006, when the album he released after his 90th birthday -- "Les Paul & Friends: American Made, World Played" -- won two Grammys.

Until recently, Paul performed twice a week at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York. He is survived by three sons, a daughter, and other relatives.


http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/08/13/2009-08-13_les_paul_guitarist.html

Wow 94 he lived a good life..R.I.P Les :\'(

Pretty amazing that he lived to the ripe old age of 94!  :o

R.I.P. Les Paul...

As a son of a guitar player...he will be missed.

Maybe there can be a Concert for Les Paul, he deserves one!

I knew it was only a matter of time, still sad though... :(

Words cannot describe how influential this guy was...even the music of today owes a huge debt to this man...RIP Les

Wow, Les was an icon.

I remember a story about Les and his son, happened in the mid 1960's.  They met up at some bar and there was this guy on stage playing guitar.  He was absolutely wild, freaky, doing stuff with his guitar that neither Les or his son had ever heard before.  However there was some urgent matter that required Les and son to leave the bar before they could hear alot of the guitarist's performance, or even meet him.  After they took care of business they went back to the club but everybody was gone and they were left wondering who that cat was that was slaying that guitar.

A couple of years later Les was in his office and his son ran in, with Jimi Hendrix' first album in hand.  "That's our boy!" Les exclaimed, "I'm glad he made out good!".

RIP Les, you did it right.  :)

'nuf said    :\'(

http://www.bazaarofchina.com/images/270604.jpg

'nuf said    :\'(

http://www.bazaarofchina.com/images/270604.jpg
you got that right. those are beautiful  8)      Les Paul; the Guitar Man  R.I.P.

Then the lights begin to flicker and the sound is getting dim
The voice begins to falter and the crowds are getting thin
But he never seems to notice he's just got to find
Another place to play

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/15/tearyeyed.gif

What a grand old man he was! 

I say Les Paul is the REAL king of rock 'n' roll.  What's the first instrument you think of when you think of rock 'n' roll?  There you go!

Mary and Les:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iGXP_UBog4

I say Les Paul is the REAL king of rock 'n' roll.  What's the first instrument you think of when you think of rock 'n' roll?  There you go!


Indeed, but to my mind, a lot of Les & Mary's songs were 'square' beyond belief (not that that's a bad thing!), but there is one that still sounds fresh...

Imagine how this must have sounded back on the radio in 1951!  :o

A true legend if there ever was one!  He will be missed...  :\'(  :\'(  :\'(

R.I.P. Les Paul