RIP - Les Paul

Very active and sharp as a tack until the end. Can't ask for anything more at 94. RIP

Some not-so trivial trivia about the influence Les Paul had on the world of music, and his legacy beyond his invention of the electric guitar:

1. He was godfather to Steve Miller. Yeah, that Steve Miller.
2. Steve Miller's father was best man at Les and Mary's wedding.
3. Les gave Steve his first guitar lessons when Steve was 5 years old, and continually encouraged him.
4. Steve had a classmate whom he taught some guitar chords to, to play in Miller's band The Marksmen. The classmate? William, better known as "Boz", Scaggs.

Small (musical) world, huh? :wink:

Ah, man. Another great goes to the great gig in the sky...and I thought it was a kick when Jeff Healey passed away. Rest In Peace, Mr. Paul. G-d bless you for your beautiful music.

EDIT: just blogged about it here.

Sad, sad day.

Times Obituary

:cry: :cry: :cry:

Vic

R.I.P. Les. Your legacy will live on.

R.I.P. Les. Your legacy will live on.

Thta's probably more true of Les than virtually anyone who's ever picked up a guitar. And what a guitarist he was, too. I've never really heard much of his playing - when I was a kid, Les Paul and Mary Ford were strictly for your parents, maybe even grandparents. It's only over the last few years (since I joined GN, in fact, and a few people pointed out that I shouldn't be quite so restricted in my listening....) that I found out just how good he really was and what an enormous influence on the world of music he was.

Another one of the greats has gone....and I wonder just how many people could brag they were a professional musician for over 80 years? Not Les's style to brag, of course - he was a modest, even humble man. He's left a huge hole in all our lives - they say there's no such thing as an irreplaceable man, but I'd say he fitted into that category.

RIP LP.

Vic

Yeah...just saw that message crawling across the bottom of our TV morning news channel.

94...certainly is a long row to hoe...and he did it well!

Yeah. RIP...

Cat

RIP Les

Here's Gibson's obituary:
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/News/les-paul-passes-away-at-94-813/

Very nice obituary, and still they don't have words to describe the man. Remarkable.

Sadly, the day finally came for him to move on, or the year came... after 94 of them here.

Here's Gibson's obituary:
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/News/les-paul-passes-away-at-94-813/

Thanks for posting that link Ric. :) I didn't realise how little I actually knew about Les Paul until I read that, and watched the embedded video clip. What a truly delightful and remarkable man he was. RIP Les.

Cheers,

Chris

Just to echo everything thats been said here about this hugely influential man. RIP Les Paul - but what a legacy

what a life and career. his accomplishments are many.
his ideas for the electric guitar and multi tracking are so influential today.
RIP Les.

All I can wish for is that I'm still hanging out and playing guitar with my friends into my nineties! Can't ask for a more fulfilling life, can you?

All I can wish for is that I'm still hanging out and playing guitar with my friends into my nineties! Can't ask for a more fulfilling life, can you?

I look forward to reading the RSJ reports from 2049.....

:D :D :D

Vic