Guitarist Les Paul just died!

Cafe Society
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Just announced on MSNBC.com

The Wizard of Waukesha / Rhubarb Red - wow. Thanks for EVERYTHING, Les…

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:(:mad:

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Wow. Modern music owes him a huge debt. Rest in peace, Les.

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Damn. His “Over The Rainbow” was awesome, and I can’t think of anyone who was such an innovator (on the design side as well as the technique side). He had a good run. RIP.

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Without Les Paul, our world in general and mine specifically (dad is a rocker, and supported us with his guitar playing) would be completely different. He was still playing out right up until the very end.

Rest easy, Les. You’re a legend.

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An innovator for sure. And by the way I think it’s very appropriate that WordMan got in to post the OP here.

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Wow, too bad. He had a long run though. Glad I got to see him at Fat Tuesday’s.

RIP, Les.

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Arguably the single most influential person on all of 20th Century recorded music. Truly a giant. RIP. :frowning:

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Sometimes, Les is no More. :frowning: …TRM

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Bummer news - RIP LP

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AP link

He was 94.

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The Gibson Web Site has a tribute cover

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What a drag.

He was a hell of a player on top of being an incredible innovator. That man could rip. I remember listening to an old Mary Ford/Les Paul LP at my grandmothers house when I was a teenager. He was one of the guys who made me realize that players outside of rock could rip it up. It totally broadened my musical horizons.

RIP Les.

Slee

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Everybody who has laid their hands on the electric guitar has a connection with that man. RIP.

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Sometimes it is said figuratively that a musician “reinvented” an instrument. It’s pretty rare when that can be said literally.

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The New York Times obit, in which Les Paul accurately compares himself to an accidental Thomas Edison.

-Marley, who’s played a Les Paul Jr. Special since 1994.

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As soon as I saw this on the AP wire, I thought, “I’ll betcha WordMan will have a thread running…”

A real pioneer, seems like he lived a good long one. RIP

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It’s sad, but I feel the same as I did when Dr Suess died - he lived a good, long life and died loved and respected by millions. It doesn’t get any better than that.

From the NYT obit: His childhood piano teacher wrote to his mother, “Your boy, Lester, will never learn music.”

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An era ends…

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Exactly - his legend and reputation is so large - so much influence.

I’ll say it again - if you haven’t seen the PBS American Masters Documentary “Les Paul: Chasing Sound” - it is available on DVD and entirely worth it…