R.I.P Les Paul

[JohnnyB]

To understand Les Paul's impact on music, think about how multi-track recording changed music. Some performers could never have created what was in their heads without it.

And believe it or not, it was Bing Crosby who saw the potential of magnetic tape early on, invested heavily in Ampex, and gave one of the first machines to Les. That's what got him started on close-miking and multi-track recording for a cleaner (and more manipulable) sound. That's an even broader legacy than his namesake guitar.

Anyway, RIP Les.

It's funny, with a long-lived icon like Les, you get to where you feel like he'll always be there, and then you feel shock when he's gone at 94. Me included.

Trivia question (no fair looking it up): Who was the best man at Les Paul and Mary Ford's wedding?

[mirrorimij]

RIP Les.

[chap]

Over the last ___ years, it seems more talented musicians are departing than arriving.

[Willie G. Moseley]

Best man at the Paul/Ford wedding: Steve Miller's dad? Seems like I heard Miller note such, and says he got his first guitar lesson from Les.

[Steve Haynie]

And believe it or not, it was Bing Crosby who saw the potential of magnetic tape early on, invested heavily in Ampex, and gave one of the first machines to Les. That's what got him started on close-miking and multi-track recording for a cleaner (and more manipulable) sound. That's an even broader legacy than his namesake guitar.

Bing Crosby should be noted for working with guitar players more than other singers of the early 20th Century. Listen to some of his recordings. Bing recorded with Eddie Lang. His radio shows featured a great musician named Perry Botkin. (Botkin started off as a banjo player and ended up an incredible guitar player. Listen to some of those guitar interludes on the Beverly Hillbillies.) Of course one of Les Paul's highlights was working with Bing.

Les told me about Perry Botkin when I asked him if he could tell me who the guitar player was on the Bing Crosby radio shows. When Botkin died he left his L-5 to Les Paul.

There is a story about someone having Eddie Lang's guitar with its last set of strings used by Lang. Les was allowed to play it and a string broke. The guitar now has five strings.

[mc2]

Ya know....I gotta just say how friggin' annoying it is to NOT see ANYTHING on TV about Les Paul's passing...yet I am STILL seeing nightly crap about fkin' Michael Jackson's dying a month later. Same in the print media. One small story in the local NYC area daily...the size of yet another Michael Jackson follow-up on his drugs, kids and family.

Technically, Les Paul likely had a larger impact on the music industry IMO, with his invention/pioneering of the solid body electric and multi-track recording, etc.

It drives me mad that news in American print/TV is pretty much the stories you would see in People Magazine or totally skewed political BS.

[Steve Haynie]

It has to do with ratings. Michael Jackson was dragged through the mud whenever possible because his name and image in a 30 second clip would bring in viewers to see commercials. Les Paul's greatest popularity was in the 1950's. His name will be remembered by a bunch of old people, but not much by people under 50.

The right people are aware of Les Paul's impact.

[Jeroen]

Sad to hear about it:( though it is great to see that you can play guitar and wear a HardRock cafe jacket when you are in your 90's The world is loosing a huge guitar guru/musician and a guy with a sence of humor

Rest in Peace!!

Jeroen

[kenjones]

Ya know....I gotta just say how friggin' annoying it is to NOT see ANYTHING on TV about Les Paul's passing...yet I am STILL seeing nightly crap about fkin' Michael Jackson's dying a month later. Same in the print media. One small story in the local NYC area daily...the size of yet another Michael Jackson follow-up on his drugs, kids and family.

Technically, Les Paul likely had a larger impact on the music industry IMO, with his invention/pioneering of the solid body electric and multi-track recording, etc.

It drives me mad that news in American print/TV is pretty much the stories you would see in People Magazine or totally skewed political BS.

NBC Nightly News ended their broadcast last night with a 2-3 minute piece on Les Paul. I was actually shocked at the duration - they NEVER have any story on for that long during that newscast. Of course, like Willie said above, they probably knew he was about to go and already had it packaged in advance.

Last night Phish played "How High the Moon" at their concert.

[Kurt L]

I gotta just say how friggin' annoying it is to NOT see ANYTHING on TV about Les Paul's passing...yet I am STILL seeing nightly crap about fkin' Michael Jackson's dying a month later.

It drives me mad that news in American print/TV is pretty much the stories you would see in People Magazine or totally skewed political BS.

Blah blah... media sucks... blah blah.

You didn't look too hard, my friend. ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN all ran nice stories on Les Paul.

I produce newscasts for the Austin ABC affiliate and made sure he was well represented. Les Paul's obit aired on our station, written by a guitarist who grew up in recording studios and knows full well the debt we owe the man.

Our chief meteorologist is a music fiend and met Les Paul a few years ago. I also gave him plenty of time to talk about that experience after the story aired.

I love how people lump "the media" all together as if none of us has an independent thought, an alternate point of view or the slightest shred of professionalism.

[GaryT]

Really Sad, another 6-stringer gone.

[Stevieconlon]

A true giant.

RIP

[hamerican gigolo]

A very sad time for anyone & anything related to the electric guitar. One of the most influential players

& inventors who ever lived.

R.I.P.