Guitar legend-inventor Les Paul dies at age 94

Les Paul and his wife, Mary Ford's recordings on Capitol Records from the early 1950s, were revolutionary. Using a then unheard-of technique called "over-dubbing", the couple's hits included How High the Moon, Bye Bye Blues, The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise and Vaya Con Dios featured Mary harmonizing with herself, giving the vocals a very novel sound.

Born in Waukesha, WI, he first attempted to play the banjo but began to play guitar instead. By 13, he was performing semi-professionally as a Country-music guitarist. At 17, he played with Rube Tronson's Texas Cowboys, and soon after he dropped out of high school to join Wolverton's Radio Band on the old KMOX/St Louis.

In 1948, Les Paul was injured in a near-fatal automobile accident in Oklahoma, which shattered his right arm and elbow. Doctors told him they could not rebuild his elbow in a way that would let him regain movement--that his arm would remain in whatever position they placed it in permanently. He instructed the surgeons to set his arm at an angle that would allow him to cradle and pick the guitar.

Dissatisfied with the acoustic guitars sold in the mid-1930s, he began experimenting with an electric model on his own creating The Log, which was nothing more than a length of common 4" x 4" lumber with bridge, guitar neck, and pickup attached. For the sake of appearance, he attached the body of an Epiphone hollow-body guitar, sawn lengthwise with The Log in the middle. This solved his two main problems: feedback, as the acoustic body no longer resonated with the amplified sound, and sustain, as the energy of the strings was not dissipated in generating sound through the guitar body.

Gibson Guitar designed a guitar incorporating Les' suggestions, which became the Les Paul model.

Keith Urban says, “I have a mix of emotions today. On one hand, I am deeply saddened at Les Paul’s passing, and on the other a feeling of incredible gratitude and awe for his unquantifiable contribution to the world of music.

"His name adorns so many of the creations that I communicate through every night out here on the road...He is also very present every time I set foot in the studio and am able to lay multiple tracks as I record, when I use echo, etc., the list of his inventions, in addition to his famous signature model Gibson, are extraordinary.

"I also feel that even in his 90's, the fact he was still playing every Monday night in New York is perhaps the most beautiful and inspiring achievement of all. As Vince Gill would say, “Go rest high on that mountain Les...cause son, your work on earth is done.”

"Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed,” said Joe Satriani.

“He was the original guitar hero, and the kindest of souls. Last October I joined him onstage at The Iridium club in New York City, and he was still shredding. He was and still is an inspiration to us all."