RIP Les Paul

Les Paul was a true original and was one of western culture's most influential men during the second half of the twentieth century.

In 1941, Les Paul invented the electric guitar. This enabled the guitar to be amplified and to rise above the sound of the other instruments. This paved the way for rock 'n' roll and through to music as we know it today.

In 1952 Les Paul helped the Gibson company to create and produce the Les Paul model guitar which takes his name and is arguably the world's most popular guitar. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005.

Les Paul was also a celebrated and popular guitar player with a string of top selling albums and number one hits.

He was one of the first musicians to experiment with multi-track playing and recording. Les Paul invented machines which would go on to be become guitar effects (sold in pedal form today) such as echo, delay and reverberation.

He also created a multi tape-head device which was the forerunner to multitrack recorders, the foundation of the music recording industry.

Les Paul remained an active musician throughout his life and up until his last months, releasing an album in 2005 and up until very recently he played every week at a New York jazz club.

In 2008 Les Paul was honored as the 2008 American Music Master by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s annual series.

On August 13, 2009 at age 94, Les Paul, guitarist and inventor, died of complications from pneumonia.

He left quite a legacy.