Guitarist and inventor, Les Paul, 94, passed away at his home in White Plains, NY, on August 12. With Leo Fender, Les is generally regarded as the father of the solid-body electric guitar. With wife and musical partner Mary Ford, Les Paul enjoyed enormous musical success in the 1950s, and additionally pioneered multi-track recording. He learned to play guitar in order to demonstrate his new invention.
The following comments are courtesy of the Associated Press.
"Les Paul, along with Leo Fender, 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. Mary Ford didn't hurt either." — Keith Richards
"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 NYC, and he was still shredding. He was and still is an inspiration to us all." — Joe Satriani
"He was a genius inventor, musical innovator, and a wonderful person. Without the advances he pioneered, the recording sciences and the electric guitar would have been left years behind. I will miss him so much." — Joan Jett
"I have a mix of emotions today. On one hand, I am deeply saddened at Les Paul's passing, and on the other a feeling of incredible gratitude and awe for his unquantifiable contribution to the world of music. His name adorns so many of the creations that I communicate through every night out here on the road ... He is also very present every time I set foot in the studio and am able to lay multiple tracks as I record, when I use echo, etc. The list of his inventions, in addition to his famous signature model Gibson, are extraordinary. I also feel that even in his nineties, the fact he was still playing every Monday night in New York is perhaps the most beautiful and inspiring achievement of all." — Keith Urban
"Without Les Paul, we would not have rock and roll as we know it. His inventions created the infrastructure for the music and his playing style will ripple through generations. He was truly an architect of rock and roll." — Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
"I am deeply saddened by the passing of Les Paul. His influence on my life, as on the lives of countless others, will be felt throughout eternity. It was an honor to know him and to work with him. I extend my deepest condolences to his family and will mourn along with musicians throughout the world." — Jose Feliciano
"It's kinda heavy, but it just felt good in your hands. The electronics that Gibson developed that went into it later just gave it a sound and a feel that is unparalleled." — Joe Chambers, founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame based in Nashville, Tenn.
"Les Paul and Mary Ford were among my most favorite musicians in the 50s. He was the first guy to do multi-guitar multitrack recording and that turned me on to guitars and stacking vocals for our records." — Brian Wilson
"Les Paul was a shining example of how full one's life can be, he was so vibrant and full of positive energy. I'm honored and humbled to have known and played with him over the years, he was an exceptionally brilliant man." — Slash
"Les Paul is single handedly responsible for the direction and evolution of the modern rock movement. Period. If you are a fan of modern music, you owe Les Paul an enormous THANK YOU!" __ Dave Navarro.
(Photo courtesy of Michael Ochs Archives/Getty)
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Posted by: eaglemom | August 14, 2009 at 08:28 PM