RIP Les Paul
I heard of his passing on the radio this afternoon as I was driving into Bellingham.
Talk about changing an industry -- inventing the solid body electric guitar, inventing multi-tracking and tape delay echo lines; he was a picker who taught himself electronics so he could build his studio the way he wanted to.
His right arm was frozen into place after shattering his elbow in an automobile accident. When the doctors told him that he could pick any angle he wanted, he chose the angle he used to play the guitar.
He was still gigging regularly in New York City up until a few months ago. 94 years old.
Micheal Jackson may have been the King of Pop but it was people like Les Paul that gave music its soul...
The
Gibson Music website has an awesome obituary.
Posted by DaveH at August 13, 2009 7:21 PM