Older folks—aware that he was revolutionizing guitar-playing before Eric Clapton had his first pair of long pants—think he's a legend. All of them probably think he has guitar strings for arteries.
Nowadays, to confuse matters further, the 90-year-old guitar-picker has stepped into the stratospheric category known as Rock Star. On his recent CD release,American Made/World Played, his sidemen include the likes of Jeff Beck, Joe Perry and Buddy Guy.
The CD puts a big bold exclamation mark to Mr. Paul becoming what was called a “permanent installation” exhibit at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame last year. He had been inducted into the hall in 1988.
What does Les Paul, person, think about all the fame fuss that has surrounded his life? “I don't think I'm very successful,” he drawls. “I just constantly try to improve, knowing that I've improved very little since I was fifteen, sixteen years old. You don't improve much after that."
The utter absence of hauteur is genuine and, in an age of megahype, downright unnerving. Fact is, besides his million-selling records, Grammy Awards, and permanently installed Rock Hall of Fame status, Les Paul is, truly, in a class by himself.
When Jimi Hendrix was planning his Electric Lady Studios in the late 60s, he went to Les Paul for advice.
Asked some years ago to review a Les Paul album for the English newspaperMelody Maker, former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page put it this way: "He's the man who started everything. He's just a genius."
It's a genius that has delivered to pop music a mad-scientist's bag of tricks like phase shifting, overdubbing, reverb effects, sound-on-sound, close-miking, echo and delay.
The Les Paul guitar, in and of itself, is a fine-fragranced, long-stemmed rose in the garden of modern musical instruments. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen once stood on a stage with Les Paul and said to him: "Without the things you have done, I wouldn't be able to do half the things I do."
Personal Life
Hit singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | Country | UK[66] | ||
| 1945 | "It's Been a Long Long Time"(with Bing Crosby) | 1 | |||
| 1946 | "Rumors Are Flying"(with Andrews Sisters) | 4 | |||
| 1948 | "Lover" | 21 | |||
| "Brazil" | 22 | ||||
| "What Is This Thing Called Love?" | 11 | ||||
| 1950 | "Nola" | 9 | |||
| "Goofus" | 21 | ||||
| "Little Rock Getaway" | 18 | ||||
| "Tennessee Waltz" | 6 | ||||
| 1951 | "Jazz Me Blues" | 23 | |||
| "Mockin' Bird Hill"(gold record) | 2 | 7 | |||
| "How High the Moon"(gold record) | 1 | 2 | |||
| "Josephine" | 12 | ||||
| "I Wish I Had Never Seen Sunshine" | 18 | ||||
| "The World Is Waiting For the Sunrise"(gold record) | 2 | ||||
| "Whispering" | 7 | ||||
| "Just One More Chance" | 5 | ||||
| "Jingle Bells" | 10 | ||||
| 1952 | "Tiger Rag" | 2 | |||
| "I'm Confessin'" | 13 | ||||
| "Carioca" | 14 | ||||
| "In the Good Old Summertime" | 15 | ||||
| "Smoke Rings" | 14 | ||||
| "Meet Mr. Callahan" | 5 | ||||
| "Take Me In Your Arms and Hold Me" | 15 | ||||
| "Lady of Spain" | 8 | ||||
| "My Baby's Comin' Home" | 7 | ||||
| 1953 | "Bye Bye Blues" | 5 | |||
| "I'm Sittin' On Top of the World" | 10 | ||||
| "Sleep" | 21 | ||||
| "Vaya Con Dios"(gold record) | 1 | 7 | |||
| "Johnny" | 15 | ||||
| "The Kangaroo" | 25 | ||||
| "Don'cha Hear Them Bells" | 13 | ||||
| 1954 | "I Really Don't Want To Know" | 11 | |||
| "I'm a Fool To Care" | 6 | ||||
| "Wither Thou Goest" | 10 | ||||
| "Mandolino" | 19 | ||||
| 1955 | "Hummingbird" | 7 | |||
| "Amukiriki" | 38 | ||||
| "Magic Melody" | 96 | ||||
| 1956 | "Texas Lady" | 91 | |||
| "Moritat" | 49 | ||||
| "Nuevo Laredo" | 91 | ||||
| 1957 | "Cinco Robles" | 35 | |||
| 1958 | "Put a Ring On My Finger" | 32 | |||
| 1961 | "Jura" | 37 | |||
| "It's Been a Long Long Time" | 105 | ||||
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