Rubbing Shoulders With A Legend

Les Paul

Mark Starlin and Les Paul • Photo by Lee Starlin

Unless you play guitar or qualify as a senior citizen, there is a good chance you have never heard of Les Paul. But if you have enjoyed recorded music since the 1960s, you have probably felt the effect of his creations on your life.

Les Paul’s initial fame came from his guitar playing. He was one of the hot jazz guitar players in the 1940s.

Les Paul in 1947 • Photo by William P. Gottlieb. Public Domain

Les was a flashy player who could play with blazing speed, and incorporated showy techniques or “tricks” into his playing to entertain audiences. Les was good friends with Bing Crosby and was prominently featured on Bing Crosby’s 1945 post-war classic It’s Been A Long, Long Time.

But Les was more than just a guitar player, he was a tinkerer and inventor. In 1941, Les created one of the first solid-body electric guitars, to help fight the problem of feedback that hollowbody guitars are prone to at loud volumes. He called his first…