Les Paul, guitarist, inventor and American icon in the music world died at a White Plains, NY hospital from pneumonia.
He was known as the "Father of the Electric Guitar".
He was 94.
He started his career as a child playing music in the streets with his guitar and a harmonica.
He played country music as a teenager and eventually migrated to playing jazz.
During this time, he always had an eye for innovation and technology.
In the early 1940's, he attached strings and electronic pickups to a crude slab of wood connected to a guitar neck.
He called it "The Log" and it was the first solid body electric guitar, providing greater levels of amplification without feedback and an unprecedented sustain of pitches.
The Gibson Company hired Paul to develop a model for mass production in the early 50's and it became one of three favorites of rock and jazz musicians along with the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster.
Les Paul performed as a sideman with Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters and Nat King Cole.
He also performed with his second wife, Mary Ford as a popular duo in the 40's and 50's.
They had a string of hits including "How High the Moon", "Tennessee Waltz" with 36 gold records and 11 #1 pop hits.
He created more innovation when he used multi-track recording and the tape echo, a guitar effect used by rockabilly architect Scotty Moore, collaborator and fellow musician, Chet Atkins and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page.
When rock and roll exploded on the scene in the 50's, the signature Les Paul guitar became the instrument of choice for generations of rockers from Chuck Berry and B.
B.
King to Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, The Edge, Eddie Van Halen.
The list is long and impressive of the rockers who gravitated to the guitars and innovation of Les Paul, a man from the 40's.
When Les Paul passed away after a remarkably long career, the music world mourned a guitar hero and master of innovation of the acoustic electric guitar and recording techniques.
He never retired from playing guitar.
For the last few decades Les Paul played Monday nights in New York City at Fat Tuesday's and then later at Iridium with a band that included bassist Nicki Parrot.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as "the architect of rock and roll".
So true.