In honor of the passing of Les Paul, today the inSync crew’s playlist includes Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule along with a healthy dose of vintage “Pearly Gates”-era ZZ Top…pure, prototypical Les Paul tones at their finest!
Lester Polfuss was born in Wisconsin on June 19, 1915, making him 94 years old at the time of his passing on August 13th from complications related to pneumonia. Heavily influenced by Django Reinhardt, in the 1930s he began performing in a wide range of venues, from radio (where he had a hit show as “Rhubarb Red”) to concerts to recordings with big bands and vocalists including Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, as well as his own Les Paul Trio. In the 1950s he garnered huge success with hits featuring his then-wife, Mary Ford, such as “How High The Moon” and “Vaya Con Dios.” Those hits also introduced his amazing facility with audio technology, which led to numerous inventions and innovations including systems for multitracking, tape delay, sound-on-sound, and overdubbing. Later in his career he earned Grammy Awards for several of his recordings.
Of course, to the world at large, Les Paul will always be most closely associated with his namesake Gibson guitar, which originated with “The Log,” a guitar he built in the 1940s. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Grammy Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the National Bradcasters Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame all recognized Paul for his many contributions to music technology and production — in fact, he’s the only person to be included in all those institutions. For many years, up until very recently, he had a standing gig at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City; his performances there were attended by a who’s who of the guitar world and often featured jam sessions with celebrity guitar players for a wide range of genres.
Probably more than any single individual, he changed how modern music is made. Our condolences to his family, friends, and associates.