If you’ve never heard of Les Paul, today you will.
Today, the 94-year-old guitar pioneer and legend died of complications due to pneumonia.
For me, Les Paul was inspirational because of the work he did on guitars. He invented the solid body electric guitar that reduced distortion in acoustic instruments.
From my previous entry, you know that I used to be a huge fan of Sugar Ray. Ever since I saw their video for “Falls Apart” and saw Mark McGrath and Rodney Sheppard playing matching bullion gold Les Paul Gibson’s, I was in love. Not to mention Sheppard’s Dimes Gibson (which last I heard you can find at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas).
I knew he made awesome guitars but it wasn’t until I visited the exhibit focusing on his work at the Discovery World Museum in Milwaukee that I truly appreciated what he did. Seeing the guitars he actually built and played and seeing the insides and workings was amazing for someone who had always loved playing guitar but never really focused on how they’re made.
Apart from being a great guitar pioneer though, Les Paul was a great musician as well. He and his wife Mary Ford had many hits in the 40s and 50s. They even had their own little 5-minute episodes of the Les Paul & Mary Ford Show. Check it out; it’s cute and it displays how amazingly talented Les Paul really was.
So grab a michelada (and if you don’t know how to make one check out our videos section!) and have a toast to the late, great Les Paul!