Father of Electric Guitar, Les Paul Dies at 94
Gibson Guitar Pioneer and Music Legend Les Paul Passes Away
Aug 13, 2009
Les Paul, a legendary guitar designer and musician, passed away today due to complications of pneumonia at a hospital in White Plains, New York. Paul was 94 years old.
Les Paul - Father of the Electric Guitar
Paul is best known for developing the solid body guitar. His designs, originally launched in 1952, eventually became a line of Gibson’s best selling electric guitars, The Les Paul models. Known as the "Father of the Electric Guitar," Paul's designs and innovations are credited with changing the culture of rock and roll.
Les Paul - Iconic Inventor
In addition to his groundbreaking advances in guitar design, Paul was a musician, producer, and technological whiz. His contributions include the design of the first eight-track tape recorder, advances in tape delay, multi-track recording, and overdubbing.
Les Paul - Accomplished Musician
A recording artist early in his career, Paul scored more than a dozen top-ten hits in the 1950s alongside his wife and fellow singer and guitarist, Mary Ford.
Throughout his legendary career, Paul performed with countless well-known musicians such as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, and Chet Atkins.
Les Paul - Hall of Fame Inductee
Last year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame hosted a week-long tribute and celebration of Paul’s life. The festivities closed with a personal performance by Paul.
To date, Les Paul is the only individual to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy Hall of Fame, National Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Les Paul - Remembered
Terry Stewart, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, states: “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.”
In a tribute on the Gibson Guitar website, Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz states: “The world has lost a truly innovative and exceptional human being today. I cannot imagine life without Les Paul. He would walk into a room and put a smile on anyone’s face. His musical charm was extraordinary and his techniques unmatched anywhere in the world.”
Juszkiewicz continues: “We will dedicate ourselves to preserving Les’ legacy to insure that it lives on forever … I have lost a dear, personal friend and mentor, a man who has changed so many of our lives for the better.”
Dave Berryman, Gibson Guitar President, states: “I don’t think any words can describe the man we know as Les Paul adequately … As the ‘Father of the Electric Guitar,’ he was not only one of the world’s greatest innovators, but a legend who created, inspired, and contributed to the success of musicians around the world.”
A private funeral service will be held in New York. Details on public memorial tributes have yet to be released. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Les Paul Foundation.
