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Source: Les Paul Dies At 94 | News @ Ultimate-Guitar.ComLes Paul, the acclaimed guitar player and inventor of the Les Paul, passed away on Thursday, August 13, at a hospital in White Plains, New York from complications of sever pneumonia. He was a robust 94 years old. In recent years Paul played twice weekly at the Iridium Jazz Club with a non-stop calvacade of rock legends including Paul McCartney, Slash, ****ie Betts, Zakk Wylde, Brian May, Joe Satriani and others.
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He was born on June 9, 1915 and was already performing publicly as a honky-tonk guitarist at the young age of 13. He created the solid body Les Paul after years of innovation in the 1950s and now guitarists from Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, to Slash to Tom Morello all sing its praises.
Guitarist extraordinaire Joe Satriani, who is currently on tour with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith in Chickenfoot, got on the phone to talk about Les. We asked him when and where he was when he heard the news.
Joe Satriani On Finding Out Les Paul Died
"I was sitting in a Starbucks with Chad Smith and we were doing some stuff on Twitter, and it popped up. We started to see people leaving messages about his passing. I wasn't aware that he had pneumonia again, so it was sort of a shock to me, completely, you know."
Satriani, who is perhaps one of the most influential guitarists of this era and taught the likes of Kirk Hammett of Metallica, former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman, and Steve Vai, said that Les Paul was more than an inventor of a guitar.
Joe Satriani On Les Paul Impact
"To meet him was to learn how to be a good human being first and foremost. He ws just this fantastic person and when you spend time with him, hopefully some of that would rub off on you. As a musician of course his contributions to guitar playing and to music were just staggering. He was our first real guitar hero. He was one of those flashy guitar players who could back it up with solid musicianship. He invented multi-track recording. He invented the idea of pirate radio. He operated a station out of his apartment in New York City. He was the first guy to get the solid body guitar right. All the while he was doing this he was a fantastic entertainer, guitar player, and his career was just incredible."
Former Guns N' Roses and current Velvet Revolver and solo guitarist Slash said in a statement: "Les Paul was a shining example of how full one's life can be. He accomplished so much, & was so vibrant & full of positive energy. I'm honored & humbled to have known & played with him over the years, he was an exceptionally brilliant man, musician, inventor, mentor & friend."
Keith Richards: "Les Paul, along with Leo Fender, the most important developer of the electric guitar. He actually taught himself to play guitar in order to demonstrate his electronic theories. Wow!! All of us owe an unimaginable debt to his work and his talent. Mary Ford didn’t hurt either."
Joan Jett: "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."
Dave Navarro: "Les is single handedly responsible for the direction and evolution of the modern rock movement. Period. If you are a fan of modern music, you owe Les Paul an enormous Thank You!"
Terry Stewart, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum: "Without Les Paul, we would not have rock and roll as we know it. His inventions created the infrastructure for the music and his playing style will ripple through generations. He was truly an architect of rock and roll."
Joe Chambers, founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame based in Nashville: "It’s kinda heavy, but it just felt good in your hands. The electronics that Gibson developed that went into it later just gave it a sound and a feel that is unparalleled."
Les Paul has become the only individual to share membership into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. And one thing is for certain: Les Paul is responsible for changing the way rock & roll sounds and he will be greatly missed.
A private ceremony is being held for him in New York, and a service in his hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin and a public memorial will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family urges wellwishers to donate to the Les Paul Foundation, 236 West 30th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001.
I am saddened by this. Without him, music wouldnt be the way it is today.
