Titan of guitar passes away at the age of 94
Les Paul, one of the most influential guitarists in history has passed away at 94 years of age. Few artists of any instrument were his equal in paving the way for the future, and few people’s musical legacy looms as large in the past 60 years. As a musician, his skills were broad and deep, as he was able to play as soft and laid back as necessary, or fast beyond belief, able to alternate between lead lines of great taste and proficiency, and complex chord progressions. Perhaps the only other guitarist of compare to Paul was Chet Atkins, a legend in his own right.
Though a musical giant, his best known work was technological
Les Paul was born Lester Polfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on June 9th, 1915. He began playing harmonica at age 8, moved on to banjo, but dropped it in lieu of the guitar. His talent was evident early; he was performing semi-professionally in jazz and country bands by age 13. (At the time, the line between jazz and country was blurry, as it was in the heyday of a musical style called Western Swing, and yes, Bob Wills is still the king.) As a youngster, he amplified his acoustic guitar by jamming a phonograph needle in the body and turning on the speakers. By his early twenties, he was playing for radio bands and releasing albums. However, in the 1930’s, there were few guitars that could be amplified well enough to be heard with a full band playing, so he decided to do something about it.
The Log and the legendary Gibson Les Paul
Back then, you couldn’t just go out and get short term loans or a cash advance in North Dakota as easily as you can now. Back then you also couldn’t get whatever axe you wanted so he had to devise his own. So he took the sides and neck from an Epiphone acoustic/electric, and glued them to a section of a pine 4×4, attaching pickups (they “pick up” string vibration and convert them to a signal) and wiring, and created the first solid body guitar. He was laughed at until the Gibson Guitar Corporation made a solid body (there were others made – Rickenbacker in the 30’s and Fender in the late 40’s) guitar to his liking – and they put his name on the headstock. The Gibson Les Paul was born, and it has been played by EVERYBODY.
Gibson Les Paul devotees are a Who’s Who of guitar – Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Gary Moore, Pat Metheny, Al Di Meola, Kirk Hammet, James Hetfield, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Jimmy Page, Slash, Frank Zappa, Martin Barre, Jeff Beck, Neil Young, Billy Gibbons, Joe Walsh, Joe Perry…the list is long and distinguished.
A legend before he was 40
After changing the course of the electric guitar forever, he also pioneered in recording technology, by inventing a process to put multiple tracks (recorded instruments) in the same song, first with acetate discs, and then commissioned the first multi-track tape machine, was among the first to use certain effects such as tape delay, and record guitar harmonies. He also found fame and fortune with albums and a television show with his then wife, Mary Ford – with whom he had hits like “Vaya Con Dios” and “How High the Moon,” and also recorded with numerous others, including Bing Crosby.
He performed regularly into his 90’s, and died at the age of 94 due to complications of pneumonia. No words can completely pay tribute to a innovator like Les Paul. Vaya con Dios.
