The Associated Press has reported that guitar innovator Les Paul died today at the age of 94, from pneumonia-related complications. Paul helped to popularize the electric guitar in the 1940s, and his use of multitracking, overdubbing, phasing, and effects processing was a key ingredient in the rock 'n' roll recipe. In 1952, Gibson guitars rolled out the first Les Paul signature model; Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page famously played a Les Paul, and the guitar became identified with rock in the classic sense. Other masters of rock identified with the Les Paul guitar included Slash, Richie Sambora, Steve Miller, and Peter Frampton. A true icon in every sense of the word, Paul's contributions to music as both a player and a technological advancer--he was often called "the wizard of Waukesha"--were numerous. It goes without saying that he will be missed. Click here for the official Les Paul website, and click here to hear excerpts from Paul's radio show with free MP3s.
