Les Paul R.I.P.

Mike19 · August 18, 2009

I am so old that when I think of Les Paul I think of "Les Paul and Mary Ford".

I grew up thinking that he invented the eclectric guitar.

RIP, Mr. Ford.

Chad Thorne · August 18, 2009

I am so old that when I think of Les Paul I think of "Les Paul and Mary Ford".

It doesn't get better than

davio · August 19, 2009

I grew up thinking that he invented the eclectric guitar.

The eclectic guitar is much harder to trace the history of than the electric guitar.

d halfnote · August 20, 2009

As they say, a cold shot.

Well, there's not much I can say about LP as a musician, record producer or inventor that others haven't but there is one thing that I said here:

https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/2105311/gonew/1/RIP_Les_Paul#UNREAD

that I'll repeat...

I would like to mention a way he, or his life, directly affected me & undoubtedly others...but in a way you might not expect.

As a child, in the mid-1950s, I broke my left arm smack through the elbow, totally mangling the joint. My father, fairly well-off & with connections to some of the best doctors in Detroit, had them set & reset the fracture several times.

Finally they determined it would have to be left "frozen" in position.

My father, however, knew of work done by some doctors in Chicago following the accident that LP had suffered years earlier & had them flown to Detroit to work on my arm, which was successfully set to allow full mobility (though it still has an alarming angle when held "straight").

Later, as my musical aspirations developed, that made it possible for me to become a guitarist.

Sometimes our lives affect others in ways we never know.

Below I'm collecting some of the surprisingly large amount of material available online about Les Paul.

Other LowDown mambers, please fell free to add something...

online obits

also (& frankly, more human)

from the film "Chasing Sound"

http://lespaulfilm.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP7qI5RVtxw

the absolutely stunning Paulverizer device in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foXSXOAfB4U&feature=PlayList&p=4D65015EFDFABD11&index=0&playnext=1

& 13 segments of the film available as a block on YouTube

the Booger Brothers radio station (get a glimpse of LP's sense of humor)

http://lespaulfilm.com/clips.html

beer commercial, interesting mainly as indicative of his name recognition w/the general public

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8O5wZAd2z4

documentary "The Wizard of Waukesha" parts 1~5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vomuse9tok

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff1dmh1XA2w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuXLUUJA0Rs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOFjfK4juRE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdAP7Bs6UZ0

Les Paul interviews on NPRadio

from 1992, rebroadcast on 8-14-09

This is a very interesting recording as LP mentions @ the 18 minute mark), casually & without elaboration, 2 devices that he created that I've found no info on, yet. One for the piano & the other, some sort of blood pressure device !!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111888401

on Mary McPartland's Piano Jazz Show 1999

includes performances

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111865107

birthday profile 2005

includes performances

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4697875

from 1950s TV

LP explains his recordings (watch out for the humour!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YA_RINQySU

Various Les & Mary clips

more recently w/Chet Atkins