Les Paul The Guitarist
Les Paul was born in 1915 in Wisconsin and grew up to be one of the greatest American jazz and country guitarists in America. He is credited with inventing the solid body electric guitar which created the sound that became the foundation for rock and roll music. A true American musical icon, there is plenty to know about Les Paul the guitarist and musical innovator.
Other musical inventions he is given credit for include a harmonica holder that is worn around the neck to allow the player to play without holding the instrument. With this device he was able to play both the guitar and harmonica simultaneously. This same basic holder design is still manufactured and in use to this day.
His playing ability was just as innovative and his timing, fretting techniques and chord sequences served to put him in a league of his own. Many present day guitar virtuosos were inspired by Paul's playing style.
His musical career nearly ended in 1948 when a horrible automobile accident severely broke his right arm. Doctors were unable to restore mobility to his elbow and informed him that his arm would be permanently frozen in whatever position they set it in. Paul asked for a nearly 90-degree angle, so he would still have the ability to play the guitar.
One of his first solid body electric guitars was The Log, built in 1940 in the Epiphone factory. When he approached Gibson Guitar Corporation with the idea, they remained unimpressed until Fender started marketing the Telecaster and Esquire. The guitar manufacturer eventually signed Paul to an endorsement contract for the Gibson Les Paul model although there remained some dispute between the two parties about just how much of this guitar design belonged to Paul.
Paul went on to perfect his multitracking recording technique. He started out recording overlaid tracks of different guitar parts. Later he worked with parallel tracks to record the different tracks at various speeds and achieved his signature sound. He was also instrumental in designing the first eight-track recording machine.
The iconic musician and inventor received numerous awards and honors over the decades for his many contributions to the industry. Those awards include a Grammy Trustees Award in 1983 and the National Medal of Arts honor in 2007. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame welcomed his induction in 1988 and he was invited to join the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2006.
His 90th birthday was celebrated in 2005 with a tribute concert in New York at Carnegie Hall put on by a host of contemporary musicians. Gibson presented him with a commemorative guitar to mark the occasion.
In August 2009, with family and friends at his bedside in a White Plains, NY hospital, complications from pneumonia took his life. He is buried in a plot at Prairie Home Cemetery in his hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin.
There is no disputing the influence that Les Paul had on the musical industry. From his contribution of the solid body electric guitar to his many inventions dealing with sound mechanics to his iconic guitar sound, Paul revolutionized the entire recording process and popular music in general.