RIP- Les Paul

Akira · 08-13-2009, 12:02 PM

One of the most important figures in music has died aged 94. Most people only know him for the electric guitar but his importance in music goes beyond that. He was a great guy with tons of energy and passion, even through to his old age, where he continued to perform live.

He will be missed, but his legacy will live on.

Rickenbacker · 08-13-2009, 12:04 PM

I just saw that he died a few minutes ago. A true guitarist to the death, this was still a long time coming. Rest in Peace sir.

Burning Down · 08-13-2009, 12:07 PM

RIP Les Paul. A true guitar hero.

SATCHMO · 08-13-2009, 12:12 PM

Oh wow! I'm ****ing devastated. The contributions he made to the world of music extend far beyond having a guitar named after him. He never stopped playing though. Anyone who even remotely loves music needs to watch Chasing Sound, the documentary of his life and contributions to music and sound recording. An amazing amazing man.

crash_override · 08-13-2009, 12:22 PM

Truly influencial. A sad loss. RIP.

+81 · 08-13-2009, 12:35 PM

First thing I saw this morning. I was aware but unfamiliar with his music. RIP.

Stone Birds · 08-13-2009, 12:37 PM

Holy Crap, he died. even stranger he's actually 94? wow!

Quote:

Les Paul, the guitarist and inventor who changed the course of music with the electric guitar and multitrack recording and had a string of hits, many with wife Mary Ford, died on Thursday. He was 94.

According to Gibson Guitar, Paul died of complications from pneumonia at White Plains Hospital. His family and friends were by his side.

He had been hospitalized in February 2006 when he learned he won two Grammys for an album he released after his 90th birthday, "Les Paul & Friends: American Made, World Played."

"I feel like a condemned building with a new flagpole on it," he joked.

As an inventor, Paul helped bring about the rise of rock 'n' roll and multitrack recording, which enables artists to record different instruments at different times, sing harmony with themselves, and then carefully balance the "tracks" in the finished recording.

With Ford, his wife from 1949 to 1962, he earned 36 gold records and 11 No. 1 pop hits, including "Vaya Con Dios," "How High the Moon," "Nola" and "Lover." Many of their songs used overdubbing techniques that Paul the inventor had helped develop.

"I could take my Mary and make her three, six, nine, 12, as many voices as I wished," he recalled. "This is quite an asset." The overdubbing technique was highly influential on later recording artists such as the Carpenters.

The use of electric guitar gained popularity in the mid-to-late 1940s, and then exploded with the advent of rock the 1950s.

"Suddenly, it was recognized that power was a very important part of music," Paul once said. "To have the dynamics, to have the way of expressing yourself beyond the normal limits of an unamplified instrument, was incredible. Today a guy wouldn't think of singing a song on a stage without a microphone and a sound system."

A tinkerer and musician since childhood, he experimented with guitar amplification for years before coming up in 1941 with what he called "The Log," a four-by-four piece of wood strung with steel strings.

"I went into a nightclub and played it. Of course, everybody had me labeled as a nut." He later put the wooden wings onto the body to give it a tradition guitar shape.

In 1952, Gibson Guitars began production on the Les Paul guitar.

Pete Townsend of The Who, Steve Howe of Yes, jazz great Al DiMeola and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page all made the Gibson Les Paul their trademark six-string.

Over the years, the Les Paul series has become one of the most widely used guitars in the music industry. In 2005, Christie's auction house sold a 1955 Gibson Les Paul for $45,600.

Meph1986 · 08-13-2009, 06:07 PM

R.i.p.

Piss Me Off · 08-13-2009, 06:15 PM

Reading up on him i had no idea about the contributions he gave to music apart from his, pretty badass, guitar. Hopefully others will learn in the way i did. Lived a long life too.

Akira · 08-13-2009, 06:18 PM

Yeah it's sad really, I think a lot of people are unaware. Hopefully that'll change for some.

08-13-2009, 12:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
Rickenbacker / Join Date: May 2009 Location: The Conn Posts: 1,338	I just saw that he died a few minutes ago. A true guitarist to the death, this was still a long time coming. Rest in Peace sir. __________________ last.fm rym Talk About the Passion - R.E.M.'s Discography Reviewed

08-13-2009, 06:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
Meph1986 How High? Join Date: May 2008 Location: FL Posts: 684	R.i.p. __________________

08-13-2009, 06:15 PM	#9 (permalink)
Piss Me Off Moodswings n' Roundabouts Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: At the corner of Dude and Catastrophe Posts: 4,512	Reading up on him i had no idea about the contributions he gave to music apart from his, pretty badass, guitar. Hopefully others will learn in the way i did. Lived a long life too. __________________ Last FM Rate Yr Music Muxtape

08-13-2009, 12:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
Burning Down The Music Guru. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Beyond the Wall Posts: 4,858	RIP Les Paul. A true guitar hero.

08-13-2009, 12:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
SATCHMO Al Dente Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 4,708	Oh wow! I'm ****ing devastated. The contributions he made to the world of music extend far beyond having a guitar named after him. He never stopped playing though. Anyone who even remotely loves music needs to watch Chasing Sound, the documentary of his life and contributions to music and sound recording. An amazing amazing man.

08-13-2009, 12:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
+81 Rats off to ya! Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: House of the Ju-Ju Queen Posts: 1,609	First thing I saw this morning. I was aware but unfamiliar with his music. RIP.