Les Paul R.I.P.

Les Paul was a musical pioneer whose inventions changed the shape of modern music forever. Who knows what kind of musical landscape we would be in without the solid-body guitar, or multi-track recording?

"He was an exceptionally brilliant man, musician, inventor, mentor and friend."

- Slash, Guns & Roses

"A legend of the guitar and a true renaissance man, Les Paul disproves the cliche that you can only be famous for one thing. His legacy as a musician and inventor will live on and his influence on rock and roll will never be forgotten."

- The Edge, U2

"An innovator, a groundbreaker, a risk taker, a mentor and a friend."

- Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top

"A genius inventor, musical innovator, and a wonderful person. Without the advances he pioneered, the recording sciences and the electric guitar would have been left years behind."

- Joan Jett

"The name Les Paul is iconic and is known by aspiring and virtuoso guitar players worldwide," "That guitar is the cornerstone of a lot of great music that has been made in the last 50 years."

- Paul Stanley, KISS

"Les Paul was a pioneer, an innovator and a dear friend. I am deeply saddened at the news of his passing. It was truly an honour to have known him and sit around with him talking guitars."

- Eddie Van Halen

"Les Paul as a guy makes an incredible difference to the story of rock music. Mostly because of his innovations of recording techniques. To say he is an innovator is an understatement. The legacy of rock and roll over the last 45 years is almost unthinkable without him."

- Johnny Marr, The Smiths

"He's the man who started everything. He's just a genius. He set the scene for what was to come as the pioneer of the electric guitar and new tape-recording technology. The Les Paul Gibson guitar that I got, I've played all the way through my career. It's absolutely irreplaceable. I've had a marriage with that guitar."

- Jimmy Page

“We must all own up that without Les Paul, generations of flash little punks like us would be in jail or cleaning toilets,” he said. All of us owe an unimaginable debt to his work and his talent.”

- Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones

“He was the first guy to do multi guitar, multi track recording and that turned me on to guitars and stacking vocals for our records.”

- Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys

"The original guitar hero, and the kindest of souls. Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed."

- Joe Satriani

“I don't think any words can describe the man we know as Les Paul adequately. The English language does not contain words that can pay enough homage to someone like Les.

“As the 'Father of the Electric Guitar,' he was not only one of the world's greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world.”

- Dave Berryman, President of Gibson Guitar

Les Paul, musical pioneer
June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009