Thursday 9 June 2011

Les Paul's 96th Birthday

Today, google come up with beautiful, guitar in an animated gif image that can be played. This is in commemoration Les Paul's 96th birthday.


Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009) --known as Les Paul-- was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which "made the sound of rock and roll possible". He is credited with many recording innovations. Although he was not the first to use the technique, his early experiments with overdubbing (also known as sound on sound), delay effects such as tape delay, phasing effects and multitrack recording were among the first to attract widespread attention.

His innovative talents extended into his playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many guitarists of the present day. He recorded with his wife Mary Ford in the 1950s, and they sold millions of records.

Among his many honors, Paul is one of a handful of artists with a permanent, stand-alone exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is prominently named by the music museum on its website as an "architect" and a "key inductee" along with Sam Phillips and Alan Freed.


On August 12, 2009, Paul died of complications from pneumonia  at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York. His family and friends were by his side. Paul is survived by his four children and his companion Arlene Palmer. His attorney told the media Paul had been "in and out of the hospital" because of illness. His last concert took place a few weeks before his death.

Upon learning of his death many artists and musicians paid tribute by publicly expressing their sorrow. After learning of Paul's death, former Guns N' Roses and current Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash called him "vibrant and full of positive energy.", while Richie Sambora, lead guitarist of Bon Jovi, referred to him as "revolutionary in the music business". U2 guitarist The Edge said, "His legacy as a musician and inventor will live on and his influence on rock and roll will never be forgotten."

On August 21, 2009, he was buried near Milwaukee in Waukesha, Wisconsin at Prairie Home Cemetery which indicated that his plot would be in an area where visitors can easily view it. Like his funeral in New York on August 19, the burial was private, but earlier in the day a public memorial viewing of the closed casket was held in Milwaukee at Discovery World with 1,500 attendees who were offered free admission to the Les Paul House of Sound exhibit for the day.

Singles:
- The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
- How High The Moon
- Put a Ring On My Finger
etc

Birth name         Lester William Polsfuss
Born                  June 9, 1915(1915-06-09)
                         Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States
Died                  August 12, 2009(2009-08-12) (aged 94)
                         White Plains, New York, United States
Genres              Jazz, Country, Blues
Occupations      Innovator, Inventor, Musician, Songwriter
Instruments       Guitar, Banjo, Harmonica
Years active      1928–2009
Website             lespaulonline.com

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul]