Of course anyone who plays electric guitar or records multitrack owes Les Paul a huge debt of gratitude. What really got to me was seeing the clips of him playing his weekly gigs in New York City. He was grace personified. His innovation paved the way for modern music, and when his records were eclipsed in the sixties by Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townsend, Jimmy Page, the Beatles, and all the rest, he just quietly kept on playing once a week in a small club, for the sheer joy of it. And he did it well, all the way to the end, ripping licks at 90 that a 20-year-old would be proud of. In the clips you can see his hands were gnarled by arthritis, but he just kept pickin' through the evident pain and doing it well. If ever there was a man totally in love with music, he was the one!
An inspiration unequalled and sorely missed....
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Yes, Les Paul was such an icon and innovator that he will well be remembered and honored through the ages. I guess we can all be touched by his never ending desire to play for the sheer pleasure of it, and that he wanted to share that pleasure with others. It's just amazing that he continued into his 90's with that endurance through the pain!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd, we must mention the incredible quality of the instruments that he developed and produced.....those custom guitars are not to be compared for their classy look and the recognizable quality of sound. So many well known celebs will only play a Gibson Les Paul guitar.
I'm there!!!!