WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Les Paul, the musician who helped change the face of music, has died today at 94 of complications of pneumonia, the Associated Press reports.
“Though he couldn’t read music, Paul had a magnificent ear and innate sense of structure, conceiving complete arrangements entirely in his head before he set them down track by track on disc or tape,” his official biography, in part, reads.
“Even on his many pop hits for Capitol in the late ’40s and early ’50s, one can always hear a jazz sensibility at work in the rapid lead solo lines and bluesy bent notes – and no one could close a record as suavely as Les. And of course, his early use of the electric guitar and pioneering experiments with multitrack recording, guitar design and electronic effects devices have filtered down to countless jazz musicians.”
The Gibson Les Paul guitar, which went on the market in 1952, is one of the most iconic instruments in rock, country and more. The humbucker pickups lent themselves to the preferred distortion favored by many hard-rock guitarists like Joe Perry, Slash and Jimmy Page. But the guitar also lent itself to an array of other music stylings, from jazz to rockabilly.
“He’s the man who started everything,” Page is quoted on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Web site. ”He’s just a genius.”
“Without Les Paul, we would not have rock and roll as we know it,” said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. “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.”
Paul was inducted into the hall of fame in 1988. He remained active until his death, performing and inventing. He released the American Made/World Played album in 2005, netting two Grammys.
“Les Paul was truly a unique human being,” said Jim Henke, vice president of exhibitions and curatorial affairs at the museum. “He was an artist who made his mark as a tremendously influential guitarist. He was also an inventor, the man responsible for the solid-body electric guitar and multi-track recording. Few people have accomplished as much as Les did in his legendary career. We will truly miss him.”
— JS
Caravan – Chet Atkins & Les Paul
