| Les Paul, 1915-2009 |
Guitar revolutionary Les Paul dies at 94
Les Paul, whose innovations with the electric guitar and studio technology made him one of the most
important figures in recorded music, has died, according to a statement from his publicists. Paul was
94.
Paul died in White Plains, New York, from complications of severe pneumonia, according to the
statement.
Paul was a guitar and electronics mastermind whose creations -- such as multitrack recording, tape
delay and the solid-body guitar that bears his name, the Gibson Les Paul -- helped give rise to
modern popular music, including rock 'n' roll. No slouch on the guitar himself, he continued playing at
clubs into his 90s despite being hampered by arthritis.
"If you only have two fingers [to work with], you have to think, how will you play that chord?" he told
CNN.com in a 2002 phone interview. "So you think of how to replace that chord with several notes,
and it gives the illusion of sounding like a chord."
Les Paul, whose innovations with the electric guitar and studio technology made him one of the most
important figures in recorded music, has died, according to a statement from his publicists. Paul was
94.
Paul died in White Plains, New York, from complications of severe pneumonia, according to the
statement.
Paul was a guitar and electronics mastermind whose creations -- such as multitrack recording, tape
delay and the solid-body guitar that bears his name, the Gibson Les Paul -- helped give rise to
modern popular music, including rock 'n' roll. No slouch on the guitar himself, he continued playing at
clubs into his 90s despite being hampered by arthritis.
"If you only have two fingers [to work with], you have to think, how will you play that chord?" he told
CNN.com in a 2002 phone interview. "So you think of how to replace that chord with several notes,
and it gives the illusion of sounding like a chord."
Les Paul: All that is rock and roll is and forever will
be indebted to his vision and genius.
be indebted to his vision and genius.
Guitarists mourned the loss Thursday.
"Les Paul was truly a 'one of a kind.' We owe many of his inventions that made the rock 'n roll sound of today to him, and he was the founding
father of modern music," B.B. King said in a statement. "This is a huge loss to the music community and the world. I am honored to have
known him."
Joe Satriani said in a statement: "Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar
hero and the kindest of souls. Last October I joined him onstage at the Iridium club in [New York], and he was still shredding. He was and
still is an inspiration to us all."
In a statement, Slash said, "Les Paul was a shining example of how full one's life can be; he was so vibrant and full of positive energy."
Eddie Van Halen: "Les Paul was a pioneer, an innovator and a dear friend. I am deeply saddened at the news of his passing. It was truly an
honor to have known him and sit around talking guitars. I am especially glad that he, my son Wolfgang and I had a chance to spend some
quality time together in the past few years. I will miss him dearly."
Keith Richards: "Les Paul, along with Leo Fender, (was) the most important developer of the electric guitar. He actually taught himself to
play guitar in order to demonstrate his electronic theories. Wow! All of us owe an unimaginable debt to his work and his talent."
Joe Perry: "As a guitarist and a fan of music in general, I know the amazing contributions Les Paul made in his lifetime to the art of making
music. I think if the general public knew how much of that influence is heard every day in the music that they listen to, they would be
amazed. He was a true genius. The few times that I had met him, he made me feel like I had known him forever. He was always sharp,
ready to rock and he was always talking about his next gig. Knowing that he is not walking the earth anymore is sad and I have lost a friend.
But every time I pick up a guitar I'll know his spirit is alive and well right next to me.
An incredible life of innovation
Lester William Polfuss was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on June 9, 1915. Even as a child he showed an aptitude for tinkering, taking apart
electric appliances to see what made them tick.
"I had to build it, make it and perfect it," Paul said in 2002. He was nicknamed the "Wizard of Waukesha."
In the 1930s and '40s, he played with the bandleader Fred Waring and several big band singers, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and the
Andrews Sisters, as well as with his own Les Paul Trio. In the early 1950s, he had a handful of huge hits with his then-wife, Mary Ford,
such as "How High the Moon" and "Vaya Con Dios."
His guitar style, heavily influenced by jazzman Django Reinhardt, featured lightning-quick runs and double-time rhythms. In 1948, after being
involved in a severe car accident, he asked the doctor to set his arm permanently in a guitar-playing position.
Paul also credited Crosby for teaching him about timing, phrasing and preparation.
Crosby "didn't say it, he did it -- one time only. Unless he blew the lyrics, he did one take."
Paul never stopped tinkering with electronics, and after Crosby gave him an early audiotape recorder, Paul went to work changing it. It
eventually led to multitrack recording; on Paul and Ford's hits, he plays many of the guitar parts, and Ford harmonizes with herself.
Multitrack recording is now the industry standard.
But Paul likely will be best remembered for the Gibson Les Paul, a variation on the solid-body guitar he built in the early 1940s -- "The Log"
-- and offered to the guitar company.
"For 10 years, I was a laugh," he told CNN in an interview. "[But I] kept pounding at them and pounding at them saying hey, here's where it's
at. Here's where tomorrow, this is it. You can drown out anybody with it. And you can make all these different sounds that you can't do with
a regular guitar."
Gibson, spurred by rival Fender, finally took Paul up on his offer and introduced the model in 1952. It has since become the go-to guitar for
such performers as Jimmy Page.
"The world has lost a truly innovative and exceptional human being today. I cannot imagine life without Les Paul," said Henry Juszkiewicz,
chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar, in a statement. "He would walk into a room and put a smile on anyone's face. His musical charm was
extraordinary and his techniques unmatched anywhere in the world."
Paul is enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Inventors Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He is survived by three sons, a daughter, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Until recently he had a standing gig at New York's
Iridium Jazz Club, where he would play with a who's who of famed musicians.
He admired the places guitarists and engineers took his inventions, but he said there was nothing to replace good, old-fashioned elbow grease
and soul.
"I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it's the right one," he said in 2002, "and it will probably whip the guy with 20
notes."
(Courtesy of cnn.com; article by Todd Leopold)
"Les Paul was truly a 'one of a kind.' We owe many of his inventions that made the rock 'n roll sound of today to him, and he was the founding
father of modern music," B.B. King said in a statement. "This is a huge loss to the music community and the world. I am honored to have
known him."
Joe Satriani said in a statement: "Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar
hero and the kindest of souls. Last October I joined him onstage at the Iridium club in [New York], and he was still shredding. He was and
still is an inspiration to us all."
In a statement, Slash said, "Les Paul was a shining example of how full one's life can be; he was so vibrant and full of positive energy."
Eddie Van Halen: "Les Paul was a pioneer, an innovator and a dear friend. I am deeply saddened at the news of his passing. It was truly an
honor to have known him and sit around talking guitars. I am especially glad that he, my son Wolfgang and I had a chance to spend some
quality time together in the past few years. I will miss him dearly."
Keith Richards: "Les Paul, along with Leo Fender, (was) the most important developer of the electric guitar. He actually taught himself to
play guitar in order to demonstrate his electronic theories. Wow! All of us owe an unimaginable debt to his work and his talent."
Joe Perry: "As a guitarist and a fan of music in general, I know the amazing contributions Les Paul made in his lifetime to the art of making
music. I think if the general public knew how much of that influence is heard every day in the music that they listen to, they would be
amazed. He was a true genius. The few times that I had met him, he made me feel like I had known him forever. He was always sharp,
ready to rock and he was always talking about his next gig. Knowing that he is not walking the earth anymore is sad and I have lost a friend.
But every time I pick up a guitar I'll know his spirit is alive and well right next to me.
An incredible life of innovation
Lester William Polfuss was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on June 9, 1915. Even as a child he showed an aptitude for tinkering, taking apart
electric appliances to see what made them tick.
"I had to build it, make it and perfect it," Paul said in 2002. He was nicknamed the "Wizard of Waukesha."
In the 1930s and '40s, he played with the bandleader Fred Waring and several big band singers, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and the
Andrews Sisters, as well as with his own Les Paul Trio. In the early 1950s, he had a handful of huge hits with his then-wife, Mary Ford,
such as "How High the Moon" and "Vaya Con Dios."
His guitar style, heavily influenced by jazzman Django Reinhardt, featured lightning-quick runs and double-time rhythms. In 1948, after being
involved in a severe car accident, he asked the doctor to set his arm permanently in a guitar-playing position.
Paul also credited Crosby for teaching him about timing, phrasing and preparation.
Crosby "didn't say it, he did it -- one time only. Unless he blew the lyrics, he did one take."
Paul never stopped tinkering with electronics, and after Crosby gave him an early audiotape recorder, Paul went to work changing it. It
eventually led to multitrack recording; on Paul and Ford's hits, he plays many of the guitar parts, and Ford harmonizes with herself.
Multitrack recording is now the industry standard.
But Paul likely will be best remembered for the Gibson Les Paul, a variation on the solid-body guitar he built in the early 1940s -- "The Log"
-- and offered to the guitar company.
"For 10 years, I was a laugh," he told CNN in an interview. "[But I] kept pounding at them and pounding at them saying hey, here's where it's
at. Here's where tomorrow, this is it. You can drown out anybody with it. And you can make all these different sounds that you can't do with
a regular guitar."
Gibson, spurred by rival Fender, finally took Paul up on his offer and introduced the model in 1952. It has since become the go-to guitar for
such performers as Jimmy Page.
"The world has lost a truly innovative and exceptional human being today. I cannot imagine life without Les Paul," said Henry Juszkiewicz,
chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar, in a statement. "He would walk into a room and put a smile on anyone's face. His musical charm was
extraordinary and his techniques unmatched anywhere in the world."
Paul is enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Inventors Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He is survived by three sons, a daughter, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Until recently he had a standing gig at New York's
Iridium Jazz Club, where he would play with a who's who of famed musicians.
He admired the places guitarists and engineers took his inventions, but he said there was nothing to replace good, old-fashioned elbow grease
and soul.
"I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it's the right one," he said in 2002, "and it will probably whip the guy with 20
notes."
(Courtesy of cnn.com; article by Todd Leopold)
Les Paul: In his own words
Nine months before Les Paul's death Thursday morning, Spinner had the honor of speaking
with the music icon at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute. As captivating as he was
knowledgeable, Paul reflected on his journey from youthful tinkerer to inventor of the
instrument that would define rock 'n' roll.
"When I was a kid there was only one person in my hometown that played the guitar, and
that was me. It was all piano in the old days. The guitar was rare.
What we did was take an acoustical instrument -- which was a very apologetic,
wonderful, meek instrument -- and turned it into a pit bull. And that's what happened --
the guitar started to become more important in Waukesha, Wisc., the Chicago area, the
Midwest. In 1930, I was already playing on the electric guitar, playing in a little bar in
Cleveland, in Rochester, some state fairs. I played Ithaca, Binghamton, Rochester, all
the way up to Boston, just everywhere you could play between Chicago and New York,
exposing this instrument to all the players or those that would like to be players. Soon
everybody wanted a guitar. It was just unbelievable. The people were running up and down
the street going from one store to the other.
Nine months before Les Paul's death Thursday morning, Spinner had the honor of speaking
with the music icon at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute. As captivating as he was
knowledgeable, Paul reflected on his journey from youthful tinkerer to inventor of the
instrument that would define rock 'n' roll.
"When I was a kid there was only one person in my hometown that played the guitar, and
that was me. It was all piano in the old days. The guitar was rare.
What we did was take an acoustical instrument -- which was a very apologetic,
wonderful, meek instrument -- and turned it into a pit bull. And that's what happened --
the guitar started to become more important in Waukesha, Wisc., the Chicago area, the
Midwest. In 1930, I was already playing on the electric guitar, playing in a little bar in
Cleveland, in Rochester, some state fairs. I played Ithaca, Binghamton, Rochester, all
the way up to Boston, just everywhere you could play between Chicago and New York,
exposing this instrument to all the players or those that would like to be players. Soon
everybody wanted a guitar. It was just unbelievable. The people were running up and down
the street going from one store to the other.
| *** *** *** *** *** *** |
And there was no such thing as amplifiers, so I had to build my own -- I took my mother's radio and I turned it into one. I did the same
thing with a guitar. I just took the guitar and said, 'Hey, it's not loud enough.' I was playing a little barbecue stand halfway to Milwaukee
and some critic that was sitting in the backseat of a car, ordering a sandwich, wrote a note that said, 'You know, what you're doing right out
there is great, but your guitar is not loud enough.' So I went home and told mom about it. She said, 'You'll figure it out, you'll figure it out.'
What I figured out was how to make that guitar louder and better. First, I took an acoustical guitar and ended up filling it with Plaster of
Paris. I tried everything, and it finally worked. I said, 'I'm gonna make two guitars, one out of wood and one out of a big long piece of
railroad track and make both of them identical.' I used the same telephone for a pickup, the part that you listen to on the telephone, the
magnet and the coil. I placed that under the string and I was just playing through my mother's radio. Between the wooden guitar and the
metal one, the railroad track was much better. I ran to my mother, saying, 'I found it! I found it!' My mother said, 'The day you see a
cowboy on a horse playing a railroad track,' and she blew me right out of the water with that. I said, 'It's got to be wood. Okay, we're
gonna make it the most beautiful piece of dense wood that will be as close to that railroad track as we can get with that good sound.'
I remember I would go into a club in the very early days with my electric. I didn't care who was there with his saxophone or trumpet or
piano or drums, I could drown them out. It became a monster, from a wimp to a monster.
(Courtesy of spinner.com)
thing with a guitar. I just took the guitar and said, 'Hey, it's not loud enough.' I was playing a little barbecue stand halfway to Milwaukee
and some critic that was sitting in the backseat of a car, ordering a sandwich, wrote a note that said, 'You know, what you're doing right out
there is great, but your guitar is not loud enough.' So I went home and told mom about it. She said, 'You'll figure it out, you'll figure it out.'
What I figured out was how to make that guitar louder and better. First, I took an acoustical guitar and ended up filling it with Plaster of
Paris. I tried everything, and it finally worked. I said, 'I'm gonna make two guitars, one out of wood and one out of a big long piece of
railroad track and make both of them identical.' I used the same telephone for a pickup, the part that you listen to on the telephone, the
magnet and the coil. I placed that under the string and I was just playing through my mother's radio. Between the wooden guitar and the
metal one, the railroad track was much better. I ran to my mother, saying, 'I found it! I found it!' My mother said, 'The day you see a
cowboy on a horse playing a railroad track,' and she blew me right out of the water with that. I said, 'It's got to be wood. Okay, we're
gonna make it the most beautiful piece of dense wood that will be as close to that railroad track as we can get with that good sound.'
I remember I would go into a club in the very early days with my electric. I didn't care who was there with his saxophone or trumpet or
piano or drums, I could drown them out. It became a monster, from a wimp to a monster.
(Courtesy of spinner.com)
