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Les PaulAmerican guitar virtuoso, inventor of the solid body electric guitar
Date of Birth: 09.06.1915
Country: ![]() |
Content:
Biography of Les Paul
Les Paul was an American virtuoso guitarist and inventor of the solid-body electric guitar. He was a pioneer in the field of sound recording and one of the inventors of the electric guitar. Despite never achieving mass popularity, Les Paul had a significant influence on modern music.
Early Life and Career
Les Paul was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1915, earning him the nickname "Wizard of Waukesha." From a young age, Paul showed an interest in radio equipment. His professional career began in the early 1930s as a singer and emcee on St. Louis and Chicago radio stations. His experience in radio influenced his diverse musical style, as he played folk music, jazz, blues, country, and Hawaiian music.
In the late 1930s, Paul joined Fred Waring's accompaniment group, the "Pennsylvanians." In 1941, Les Paul independently invented the first solid-body electric guitar (prior to this, guitars had hollow bodies). During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army radio service and later worked as an accompanying guitarist in Los Angeles studios for various artists, including Bing Crosby and Jack Benny. Bing Crosby provided Paul with one of the earliest tape recorders, which allowed him to experiment with magnetic recording. His experiments led to the release of his first solo records in 1948, featuring the technique of sound layering.
Success and Challenges
From this point on, Les Paul began performing as a solo artist. However, his career was threatened in December 1948 when he was involved in a car accident that severely injured his right arm. During the operation, Paul requested that his broken arm be set at an angle that would allow him to continue playing the guitar. After the operation, he underwent a year and a half of rehabilitation.
In 1950-52, Les Paul collaborated with Gibson to develop an electric guitar that would bear his name - the "Les Paul." The Les Paul became one of the most popular electric guitars among rock musicians.
In 1949, Paul married Iris Summers, who later changed her name to Mary Ford. The couple formed a musical duo and released albums that quickly gained popularity. Their albums consisted of songs performed by Mary Ford and instrumental compositions, with Ford occasionally playing the guitar. Ford's smooth, easy voice balanced Paul's virtuosic playing and complex layered compositions. Paul also experimented with multiple echo effects. His records were marketed as the "new sound." One of the strengths of Paul's methods was that he implemented his innovative ideas within the framework of accessible popular music, rather than the narrow avant-garde genre.
Later Life and Legacy
In the early 1960s, the duo's popularity declined, and Les Paul and Mary Ford parted ways in 1964. Paul continued to record for a while before taking a break from music. His next significant work was two albums recorded with Chet Atkins in 1977-78. After that, Les Paul mostly ceased his musical activities.
In 2006, Les Paul received two Grammy Awards for his 2005 album "American Made World Played," his first album in 27 years. In his later years, Paul performed weekly at the "Iridium Jazz Club" in New York City. Les Paul passed away at the age of 95 due to complications from pneumonia.