By: Rick Landers
Vintage article from 2011!
In the words of his friends, Guitar International presents remembrances and tributes to the life of the legendary Les Paul. But, before we let others speak…let’s check out this video where we can hear it from the man himself.
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“At every show there is a special moment in our concert where I would talk about Les and some of his remarkable achievements and describe how generous he was with his time and his spot light with other artists. He treated everyone from all walks of life and ability with respect and warmth. Then I would dedicate the song “Nature Boy” to his memory and every night with out fail just the mention of his name would bring a long round of applause and a standing ovation for Les. He was truly loved by the people.”
– Steve Miller (The Steve Miller Band; Les Paul’s godson)
“I’ve copied more licks from him than I’d like to admit.”
– Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds, The Jeff Beck Group)”
“His legacy as a musician and inventor will live on and his influence on rock and roll will never be forgotten”
– The Edge (Guitar Player for U2)
1952 First Les Paul Advertisement
“He’s a guy who played right up to the end. That’s what we all want to do!”
– Keb Mo
“Three-time Grammy winner Les Paul was a musical mastermind whose innovations in electric guitar and recorded music are unparalleled. A 1983 Trustees Award recipient and a 2001 Technical Grammy Award recipient, his career and contributions to popular music will forever be celebrated and will continue to influence future generations of musicians. His magnetic charm and sunny disposition matched his incredible skill set, and he will always be remembered with great fondness, humility and respect. The music industry has lost a true innovator and legend.”
– Neil Portnow (President; CEO of the Recording Academy)
“Les Paul was a shining example of how full one’s life can be. He was so vibrant and full of positive energy. I’m honored and humbled to have known and played with him over the years. He was an exceptionally brilliant man.”
– Slash (Guns “N’ Roses; Velvet Revolver)
“He was a genius inventor, musical innovator and a wonderful person. Without the advances he pioneered, the recording sciences and the electric guitar would have been left years behind. I will miss him so much.”
– Joan Jett (The Blackhearts)
“Les was such a delightful raconteur, and not just on the stage. We worked on an instructional video together, at his house, and he kept the crew in hysterics between takes. “See that piano? W. C. Fields played that. And there’s the couch where Charlie Parker spent the night. I still have his socks!” He’d tell a racy story during a break, clean it up, and retell an equally hilarious variation when the cameras rolled. And of course the events he described were part of music history. Whether playing guitar or storytelling, Les was the consummate entertainer.”
– Jon Chappell, Harmony Central Senior Editor and author of Guitar for Dummies
“Les was like the Thomas Edison of music. A lot of people hear his name and they just think of the guitar, but they don’t realize that the recordings we have today, we would not have if not for him and the developments he made with multi-tracking and tape delays. He is the guy that created the modern studio. He created modern recording and multi-track. He is the face of it, besides the fact that he played his ass off. I have so many old videos from VHS that I just took off the TV that are live things of him with Bucky Pizzarelli. He would just sit there and play the shit out of the guitar.”
– Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns ‘n’ Roses)
“Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar hero and the kindest of souls. Last October, I joined him onstage at the Iridium club in NYC, and he was still shredding. He was and still is an inspiration to us all.”
– Joe Satriani
“Les was always willing to sit and talk, just as he was always willing to sit and play. It’s hard to believe that he lived to be almost 100, and was playing guitar right up until the end. His legacy is one that any guitarist–make that any human–would be proud to have.”
– HP Newquist, The National GUITAR Museum
“Les is an old friend of mine. He gave me this special white Les Paul — he wound the pickups himself — for my birthday, first time I met him. I play everything from heavy metal to blues to jazz on it. He just hit it right on the head when he designed the Les Paul. I like it better than most girlfriends I’ve had. The godfather of rock ‘n’ roll, I call him. Without him, none of us would have a job.”
– Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi
Les Paul and Friends
“To be honest, it’s not so much what Les Paul did with the early solidbody electric guitar that has me in awe, but the way he invented the sound of the modern pop record. When Les constructed his magical orchestras of massed guitars, at first on disk and then on tape, it was the start of the idea that records could exist apart from live music as unique creations in their own right. Listen to those 50s Les Paul & Mary Ford records now, and they sound so modern! And here’s a lovely guitar player who makes you smile as his cheeky character comes shining through.
I interviewed Les a number of times and always found him a fine story-teller, a man who loved to place himself close to almost any musical development you cared to name. He came across as a natural improviser, and he interviewed like he played guitar: humorous, engaging, and unquestionably the center of attention.
When I last spoke to him, he was as enthusiastic for his beloved instrument as I’d ever heard him. “The guitar has become something that we cherish,” he told me. “It’s beyond belief how many important people can’t wait to get home, put some old clothes on, sit in the kitchen, and play and enjoy guitar. It makes so many people happy. What other thing can do what music does?”
– Tony Bacon, Author of The Les Paul Guitar Book: A Complete History Of Les Paul guitars (Backbeat, 2009) & Million Dollar Les Paul: In Search Of The Most Valuable Guitar In The World (Jawbone, 2008)
“I don’t think there’s a guitar player who wasn’t influenced by Les. When our lead guitar player, Nokie Edwards, first heard Les’ stuff back in the day, Nokie didn’t know it was speeded up. So that’s the way he learned how to play it; that’s what started his fast fingers going. Les was the first to do many things. He just blew us away when we heard his music.”
– Don Wilson of the Ventures
“Les Paul was a good man. He had an almost cutting sense of humor with me, like he was trying me on for size until he made up his mind about my guitars. After that, he was always very supportive and friendly. I liked him and greatly admire the impact he had on our industry.”
– Paul Reed Smith, PRS Guitars
“I can’t think of a greater guitar icon than someone who has the musical talent to change what was there before, and take music in another direction. That’s a guitar hero for me.”
– Jimmy Page of The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin
“Les Paul brought six strings to electricity and electricity to six strings,” Gibbons said in a statement. “Les Paul was an innovator, a groundbreaker, a risk taker, a mentor and a friend. Try to imagine what we’d be doing if he hadn’t come along and changed the world. There will always be more Les to come. That’s certified.”
– Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
