Les Paul
| Birth Name | Lester William Polsfuss |
|---|---|
| Born | June 9, 1915 |
| Died | August 12, 2009 (aged 94) |
| Genres | Jazz country blues rock and roll acoustic music |
| Instruments | Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica |
| Associated acts | Mary Ford |
Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, and his techniques served as inspiration for the Gibson Les Paul. Paul taught himself how to play guitar, and while he is mainly known for jazz and popular music, he had an early career in country music.
Video Playlist
1/3 videos
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Les Paul and Mary For Live
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With Tommy Emmanuel
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Live and Magnificent
He is credited with many recording innovations. Although he was not the first to use the technique, his early experiments with overdubbing (also known as sound on sound), delay effects such as tape delay, phasing effects and multitrack recording were among the first to attract widespread attention.
His innovative talents extended into his playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many guitarists of the present day. He recorded with his wife, the singer and guitarist Mary Ford, in the 1950s, and they sold millions of records.
Among his many honors, Paul is one of a handful of artists with a permanent, stand-alone exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is prominently named by the music museum on its website as an “architect” and a “key inductee” with Sam Phillips and Alan Freed. Les Paul is the only person to be included in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Guitarists Through The Decades
Top 3 Les Paul Recordings
Biographies on Les Paul
Les Paul in His Own Words
In celebration of his life, this book, capturing Paul’s own reflections on his remarkable inventions and guitar playing, was published as a high-end collector’s edition. In 2015, This book is the definitive work on the recording and electric guitar pioneer whose prodigious talents and relentless work ethic single-handidly launched a new era in American popular music.
