# Happy Birthday, Les Paul! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229 "2009-06-09T18:24:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/1 "2009-06-09T18:24:08Z")
In researching my post for [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=520519), I looked up Les Paul’s age, and discovered that today, June 9th, is his 94th birthday. Happy birthday to a guitar legend! (Man, I wanna make it to NYC to see him play!) ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/2 "2009-06-09T18:41:10Z")
Three cheers for the wizard of Waukesha!!! Happy birthday! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/3 "2009-06-09T19:37:46Z")
Rhubarb Red, Lester William Polfuss - the man, the myth, the legend. I am sure I have told this on the Dope before, but I saw him over a year ago at Iridium, the jazz club where he owns Monday nights. He was playing - basically with one or two fingers because that’s all he can use - and still sounded great. At one point towards the end, someone called out to ask to take a picture. Les said “sure!” and got the whole band to crowd around him. Once everybody got settled he looked to the picture-taker and asked “ready?” The guy said yes so Les started counting down 3-2-1 and when he got to 1, he flipped the guy a huge bird - with his finger knuckles going in 3 directions with all the arthritis and such. It was hilarious and the crowd lost it - and Les had a big smile on his face and the guy loved the picture… …and if you are remotely interested in guitar, music from the 40’s and 50’s (commerical pop of the day, not rockabilly) or just Les Paul (and Mary Ford) in general, I can’t recommend [Les Paul: Chasing Sound](http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Chasing-Sound/dp/B000QGE856/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1244575657&sr=1-1)enough from PBS’s American Masters series… Happy Birthday!! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/4 "2009-06-09T19:41:15Z")
WordMan, that’s a great story! And, thanks for the recommendation on the DVD. I’m just starting to learn how to play the electric guitar, but I’ve been a Les fan for many years, and I _had_ to get a Les Paul for my first guitar! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/5 "2009-06-09T19:45:37Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > WordMan, that’s a great story! > > And, thanks for the recommendation on the DVD. I’m just starting to learn how to play the electric guitar, but I’ve been a Les fan for many years, and I _had_ to get a Les Paul for my first guitar! 🙂 You won’t hear an argument from me - I have 2 (actually 3, but one is a Japanese-made replica)…the basic LP design is one of the “Fundamental Food Groups of Electric Guitar”… ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/6 "2009-06-09T19:52:38Z")
Jay Leonhart, August of 2006 Look over there playing the guitar, Who is that we see? The greatest guitar player of them all, or So it seems to me. A Guy with more hit records than anybody you ever saw, he Changed the music for us all he’s the Wizard of Waukesha. You can tell your mama, You can tell your paw, Tonight you heard the greatest of’ em all. The Wizard of Wakesha Complete poem [here](http://slyhipsterwolf.com/news.html?page=3), about a fifth of the way down the page. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/7 "2009-06-09T20:15:46Z")
That’s pretty darn cool, **Le Ministre**. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/8 "2009-06-09T20:32:19Z")
I remember a TV commercial a few years back (naturally, I can’t remember who it was for) where Les Paul walks up to some dude playing guitar in a bar and asks if he can give it a try. Les takes the guy’s guitar and plays a few hot licks and hands it back to the guy. The guy says “Wow, you’re pretty good. What’s your name?” And Les smiles and says “It’s on your guitar.” ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/9 "2009-06-09T20:37:05Z")
Gibson used to bring Mr. Paul to CES in Las Vegas every year,to sit in their tent and play and sign autographs. He’s a remarkably friendly man, as well as a genius and a legend. My first guitar was a 1972 Les Paul Custom, just like Frank Zappa’s. I still have it. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/10 "2009-06-09T20:52:01Z")
[Obligatory link to one of my favorite TV commercials](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_A2nL6mAWk) ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/11 "2009-06-09T21:16:35Z")
Having played electric guitar for over 40 years (_and boy are my arms tired_ :D), I just had to post in this thread. Les Paul is _the_ guitar man and not just in terms of playing excellence but also in his guitar designing skills. (Plus I’ve heard he came up with a few tricks for the recording studio). It’s sad to hear about arthritis affecting his playing, but it’s good to know that he’s around to celebrate another birthday. Happy Birthday Les. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/12 "2009-06-09T22:09:04Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > [Obligatory link to one of my favorite TV commercials](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_A2nL6mAWk) Yeah, that’s the one. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-les-paul/499229/13 "2009-06-09T22:13:47Z")
My regular reminder that I need to get to the Iridium one of these Mondays. It’s not cheap but I’ll end up kicking myself if I don’t. > [@wolf\_meister](#): > > It’s sad to hear about arthritis affecting his playing True, but two fingers was all Django Reinhardt needed, so he can probably make due. 😉