Les Paul, guitar virtuoso and inventor will be buried, Friday, August 21, 2009
in his hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The public will pay their respects
in Milwaukee a Science & Technology Museum along the shores of Lake
Michigan. Some of the Paul family are expected to attend Friday’s tribute.
Many others will come to honor his life. A private funeral service was planned
for Wednesday, August 19, 2009 in New York City, followed by a reception
at the Gibson Showroom. Les Paul died in White Plains, New York on Aug.13
of complications from pneumonia. He was 94 years old.

Born Lester William Polfuss in 1915 to a German immigrant family, Les built
his first crystal radio at age 9 in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha. In his
early teens, he left home to travel with a country band.

As an inventor, Les Paul helped bring about the rise of rock n’ roll and multi-
track recording. With Mary Ford, his wife from 1949-1962, he earned 36
Gold records, 11 Number 1 pop hits; and 16 Top Ten hits.
Mary Ford and Les Paul had a bitter divorce in 1964 and she later married
an old high school friend and performed with other artists in California.
Her brothers and sisters were all musicians. She died from complications
of diabetes at the age of 53.

A tinkerer and musician since childhood, he experimented with guitar
amplification for years before he came up with “The Log,” a four by four
piece of wood strung with steel strings.

In 1952, Gibson Guitars began production on the Les Paul Guitar. Over the
years, the Les Paul Series has become one of the most widely used guitars
in the music industry. In 2005, Christie’s Auction House sold a 1955 Gibson
Les Paul for $45,600. Truly, Les Paul was a legend in his lifetime and will
Always be a Legend. God Speed, Les Paul.

TRIBUTE TO GUITAR VIRTUOSO LES PAUL