RIP Les Paul : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

SAFXDL · 08-13-2009, 12:26 PM

NEW YORK - Les Paul, the guitarist and inventor who changed the course of music with the electric guitar and multitrack recording and had a string of hits, many with wife Mary Ford, died on Thursday. He was 94.

Shaw_2112 · 08-13-2009, 01:14 PM

May he rest in peace...

SAFXDL · 08-13-2009, 01:17 PM

First electric guitar I bought was a gold top Les Paul.....wish I had kept it....but new wife and kid forced me to sell back in the 70's.

Shaw_2112 · 08-13-2009, 03:41 PM

I'm a bass player myself, never played a Les Paul, but being a musician you can't help but appreciate his impact on the music world, he did invent electric after all....

dougbeth · 08-13-2009, 04:07 PM

R I P..gonna go strum some chords on my standard right now

aldean · 08-13-2009, 04:31 PM

Bad A$$ guitars....94 is a good haul...Rest in Peace.

ponderopa · 08-13-2009, 05:45 PM

Every generation of musicians plays different, and when they're gone that's it. RIP

trhoton · 08-13-2009, 10:48 PM

I've been fortunate enough to meet him and hear him play several times in the last 10-15 years. He was a very nice guy, and I'm always proud to play my Les Paul with his signature on it.

We lost a genius today.

MadCity · 08-13-2009, 11:27 PM

Steve Miller (his Godson) and Richie Sambora eulogized him tonight on CNN. He was one of the great ones. He changed the course of music in America. The outfit I work for honors living Wisconsin history figures with lifetime achievement awards. We tried to honor him, but he was too busy performing to be bothered with accepting yet another award — and he was in his early 90s at the time. I think that says a lot about the guy. RIP Les Paul.

SAFXDL · 08-14-2009, 08:06 AM

In January 1948, Paul was injured in a near-fatal automobile accident in Oklahoma, which shattered his right arm and elbow. Doctors told Paul that there was no way for them to rebuild his elbow in a way that would let him regain movement, and that his arm would remain permanently in whatever position they placed it in. Paul then instructed the surgeons to set his arm at an angle that would allow him to cradle and pick the guitar.

Now that is total commitment to your art and passion...he will be missed.

ponderopa · 08-14-2009, 09:29 AM

Isn't that LP playing for the jazz kid on a few Andy Griffith episodes? Think his name was "Jim". The close ups were of Paul's hands.

I played with a guy 30 yrs ago in Charlotte (Dave Lyles) who had limited use of his right hand. He had developed a hammer technique that produced a style similar to Mark Knoffler, very distinctive. Turned out Dave, who was from Florida, had been Dicky Betts teacher. Betts stopped in and jammed a couple times, and flew Dave to NY and brought him out at the Garden.

Les Paul will not be forgotten, sort of like Chuck Taylor on a pair of Converse...

tmd442 · 08-17-2009, 08:50 PM

He was a true legend!
RIP

JayFL459 · 08-17-2009, 09:31 PM

RIP Les Paul I was fortuante enough to remember you for the legend you truly were and will be missed .. Hope you are playing for my Mom now across the Divide she loved all your songs and playing ..

Boxer 6 · 08-20-2009, 09:12 AM

Les Paul hails from my town (Mahwah, NJ). May he rest in peace.

DRG · 08-24-2009, 02:57 PM

If you can find two albums he did with Chet Atkins under the name of Chester & Lester you will hear some fine pickin' and a lot of jokiin' around. Truly a great pioneer. I own a 76' Black Beauty.

Dave