Lester William Polsfuss was born on June 9, 1915 in small town Waukesha (Michigan). He is considered a virtuoso performer and inventor of the first solidbody electric guitar. It was happened in 1946 in Gibson company.
He cut his name to Les Paul and it is used in the names of guitars Gibson Les Paul, which are still popular with jazz and rock musicians. According to the former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page's "Les Paul - the man that started it all. He's a genius."
Les Paul is also famous for his inventions in sound recording. He experimented with such effects as the multiple layering of sounds, multichannel recording, reverb, echo, and multiple phase shift. He was the first who established a guitar two pickups and he made and perfected all the sensors by himself.
Les Paul began studying music early (he has mastered the harmonica being 8 years old, and then the guitar, which he bought for $5). When Les became interested in the guitar, he began to study with jazz musicians, including Django Reinhardt, but the first of his idols was a country musician Pie Plant Pete, who spoke at the Saturday night program on Chicago radio station WLS. In 1939 Les Paul and his friend Joe (Sunny Joe Wolverton) went to Chicago to find job and recognition. He began to make guitars, experimenting a lot with sound, electricity and materials, and, as a result in 1941, created an electric guitar, which jokingly called «The Log».
In 1943 Les Paul moved to Los Angeles, where he attracted the attention of other guitar designers, including Leo Fender (Leo Fender) and a guitar company Gibson. Since 1949 he has successfully concerted and recorded with his wife Mary Ford (born Colleen Summer) who she sang with the famous country music performer Gene Autry before. Their hit "How High the Moon" was sold 1.5 million copies.
Gibson still produces GIBSON LES PAUL that has become a rock musicians’ favorite guitar. That name has become a brand. It is no accident that on 1977 Grammy ceremony the audience was surprised to learn that Les Paul is not only the guitar, but man!
Les Paul in 1995 began working at the famous New York club Iridium, where his fans come every week, while continuing to perform regularly. In 2007 he received a national award "Medal of Arts" from President George W. Bush.
Les Paul passed away four years ago at the age of 94 years, on 13 August 2009. The permanent exhibition dedicated to Les Paul was opened in the cultural heart of the city Waukesha (Waukesha County Museum) in 2013.
He cut his name to Les Paul and it is used in the names of guitars Gibson Les Paul, which are still popular with jazz and rock musicians. According to the former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page's "Les Paul - the man that started it all. He's a genius."
Les Paul is also famous for his inventions in sound recording. He experimented with such effects as the multiple layering of sounds, multichannel recording, reverb, echo, and multiple phase shift. He was the first who established a guitar two pickups and he made and perfected all the sensors by himself.
Les Paul began studying music early (he has mastered the harmonica being 8 years old, and then the guitar, which he bought for $5). When Les became interested in the guitar, he began to study with jazz musicians, including Django Reinhardt, but the first of his idols was a country musician Pie Plant Pete, who spoke at the Saturday night program on Chicago radio station WLS. In 1939 Les Paul and his friend Joe (Sunny Joe Wolverton) went to Chicago to find job and recognition. He began to make guitars, experimenting a lot with sound, electricity and materials, and, as a result in 1941, created an electric guitar, which jokingly called «The Log».
In 1943 Les Paul moved to Los Angeles, where he attracted the attention of other guitar designers, including Leo Fender (Leo Fender) and a guitar company Gibson. Since 1949 he has successfully concerted and recorded with his wife Mary Ford (born Colleen Summer) who she sang with the famous country music performer Gene Autry before. Their hit "How High the Moon" was sold 1.5 million copies.
Gibson still produces GIBSON LES PAUL that has become a rock musicians’ favorite guitar. That name has become a brand. It is no accident that on 1977 Grammy ceremony the audience was surprised to learn that Les Paul is not only the guitar, but man!
Les Paul in 1995 began working at the famous New York club Iridium, where his fans come every week, while continuing to perform regularly. In 2007 he received a national award "Medal of Arts" from President George W. Bush.
Les Paul passed away four years ago at the age of 94 years, on 13 August 2009. The permanent exhibition dedicated to Les Paul was opened in the cultural heart of the city Waukesha (Waukesha County Museum) in 2013.
