Les Paul - The passing of a National Treasure (June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009)
I have just been informed about the passing of the legendary Les Paul. He lived longer than most and was able to do what he loved almost to the end. Mr. Paul was 94 when he died today and despite his advanced age, played every Monday night at the Iridium Jazz Club on Broadway in New York City from 1996 through this past June.
Anyone who has ever played an electric guitar or listened to music from the Rock and Roll era onwards owes this man heaps of gratitude..
Besides being a phenomenal guitarist, Les Paul is recognized as being the pioneer of many of the major breakthroughs in musical technology that are considered industry standards today. His concepts of phase shifting, overdubbing, reverb, delay, and sound-on-sound recording were astonishing during the era of the 1940’s. He also invented the eight-track recorder and one of the gold standards of electric guitars, the Gibson Les Paul. He has been called the father of the electric guitar. The Gibson Les Paul became so iconic that he once joked that people are often surprised that Les Paul was a real 
person.
During the 1950’s, Les and his wife Mary Ford had hits "How High the Moon", "Bye Bye Blues", "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise", and "Vaya Con Dios." These songs featured Mary harmonizing with herself used overdubbing & giving the vocals a very novel sound for that time. Les Paul could also lay claim to being one of the fathers of Rock 'n' Roll. . In 1951, Les Paul's dazzling electric guitar work on the #1 Pop Hit "How High The Moon" caused the song to cross over onto the R&B Charts bringing together the diverse influences that would help form Rock 'n' Roll.
Even into his seventies, Paul worked on new inventions and creating magical music. Guitar World once said of Paul, "Les Paul is more of a hell-raiser than some of the burnt-out cases who play the guitar with his name on it."
Whether they know it or not, anybody who plugs a guitar into an amp has been influenced by Les Paul. He has been a major influence on guitarists from Wes Montgomery, to Jimi Hendrix, to B.B. King, to Stevie Ray Vaughan, and beyond
Les Paul will be forever remembered for his tremendous contributions.
To read more about his accomplishments & life:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul
Michael Stokes
Founder
http://www.MakinMusicNY.com/
Tags: guitar, legend, les, paul
Views: 8
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mickey Flynn on -
Hi Micheal, Thanks for sharing, seems like the end of a golden era 50s 60s 70s type rock n roll for sure this gent will go down in history as one of the leading forefathers, for the many users of this great instrument on these shores and the endless hits records that they were used on to create on both sides of the big pond I am sure he will be sadly missed and long remembered by many.
Best to you and yours.
Mickey Flynn
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Permalink Reply by michael bange on -
i feel that this is a bigger lost then the passing of Michael Jackson. Les Paul done more for the music world then Michael ever did, and the only true music lovers know what this man ( Les Paul) meant to the music biz....
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Permalink Reply by Michael Stokes on -
I agree, but we shouldn't downplay the impact of either artist. Often, we have strong opinions about people with celebrity status (usually due to their behavior or misbehavior). But if you look at their work alone, you can clearly see how they impacted their art.
Mike
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Permalink Reply by Michael Hill on -
It's sad that some people feel the need to denigrate one person in order to praise someone else. Les Paul and Michael Jackson were not in competition, in life nor in death.
What's undeniable is the joy they brought to millions of people which speaks loudly and clearly to what they had very much in common: brilliance, humanity, a powerful work ethic and profound artistry. Petty comparisons are meaningless; I celebrate the great work of both.
Thanks for the excellent piece, Michael.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Stokes on
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You are welcome & strongly supported in those views here. Both were brilliant. By the way, your tune is still the opening tune when going to my Website. It probably will be for quite a while. It is a celebration of human spirit. I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Mike
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Permalink Reply by Randy Hock on -
I want to give my "Personal Experience" on Les Paul, someone I had the Pleasure of being on stage with and playing with in 1965.
I can tell you this about him, He loved Music!
(1965) I was playing with an all Black Band, professionals who worked with people like "Little richard, backed Sam n Dave, Wilson Pickett etc. (Just coloring the picture).
Les Paul walked in and asked to come up on stage with us, and He did.
I heard Billy Miranda The Leader of the Group ask "Do you want to be announced?" and he said "No"
He just came up to play, because thats the kind of REAL Musician and Person He was.
So there is something I can tell you about Les Paul.
A Great Contributor, and a Great Person of The Music World.
Randy Bluesman
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