For over sixty years, the name of guitarist and inventor extraordinaire Les Paul could not be spoken or written in any forum without at least one mighty descriptive noun attached to it--genius, wizard, legend, creative madman--and these weighty words of honor could not be bestowed on a more worthy human being. Yet he was mortal and, like all mortals, his time upon this planet was destined to come to an end. And so it was yesterday, August 13, 2009, that Les Paul passed away at the age of 94, leaving a legacy unmatched in the world of music.
Born Lester William Polsfuss on June 9, 1915 in Waukesha, Wisconsin--Whoot!--Paul changed his moniker to a less, um, fussy one for performance purposes in the 1930s. With the aid of an uncommonly wise mother who allowed him to pursue his natural curiosity and inventive tendencies--even letting him punch new holes in her player piano rolls when he was not yet 10 years old so he could experiment with a burgeoning multitrack effect idea--Paul was the epitome of what we now call a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) übercool geek.
A genuine self-taught artist--he never did learn to read music--Paul had the type of instinctual sense for melody, chord progression, instrumental layering, and composition that turns even the most balanced of us tune makers green without absolute envy. That, combined with an astonishing work ethic, made Paul one of the greatest and most innovative musicians of all time.
In 1941, Paul invented "The Log", a solid body electric guitar. Gibson Guitar Company very shortsightedly turned down his monumental achievement, but changed its mind when Leo Fender introduced his own commercial solid body electric guitar in 1950--nothing like a poke from the sharp competition stick to wake ya up, eh?--and the much prized Gibson Les Paul Guitar line was born.
From there he went on to fundamentally change the way we perform, record and experience music through the invention of the multitrack recorder, making overdubbing possible and giving us the ability to record a number of tracks separately--no more fear and loathing of erasing previously recorded tracks. Ingenious! He also developed the first echo and reverb techniques and tools, providing a richer and more compelling sound.
Along with his wife Mary Ford--a.k.a. Iris Colleen Summers--Paul rocketed up the charts with a number of hits in the 1950s, including their unique version of "How High The Moon", and had a seven-year run of Les Paul and Mary Ford at Home, a radio and television show. Paul and Ford were pioneers in home recording, creating records in their living room that sold millions of copies. Sadly, the couple eventually divorced when Ford decided that she didn't want to continue on in the hurly-burly music life and Paul couldn't give it up. Mary Ford died in 1977.
Paul retired for about ten years for health reasons in the 1960s. An injury sustained in a near-death car accident in 1948 had left his arm permanently crooked--a position he'd insisted the doctors set it in to avoid amputation--and that old devil arthritis began to make its painful presence known in his hands. But he just couldn't stay away and he came back in 1974 to make a record with renowned guitarist Chet Atkins. Chester and Lester won a Grammy.
From 1984 to 1995, Paul played every Monday night at Fat Tuesday's in New York City, then he took his weekly gig to the Iridium Jazz Club in 1996. His arthritis worsening, he taught himself to play the guitar in a whole new way by rethinking the possibilities offered up by his extremely stiffened fingers. He continued to play nearly until to the end.
Honored by various music and science institutions, Paul was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Kev and I had the awesome pleasure of seeing his collection, including the Les Paul "Clunker"--that's a modified 1942 Epiphone Broadway electric guitar--in the Architects of Rock and Roll exhibit last year. If ya ever get to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, head up to level 2 and get ready to be stunned.
In 2007, the PBS series American Masters aired the documentary Les Paul: Chasing Sound and I encourage all who have never seen this film to do so immediately. Here's a clip:
Also, Terry Gross did a great interview with him in 1992, which was rebroadcast today on Fresh Air.
Mr. Les Paul, we shall deeply miss your no-holds-barred, creative, knowledgeable and high-spirited presence here among us, but we shall continue to sincerely thank you everyday for all the gifts you have so generously granted us.
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