Audio Video News

You may have heard by now, but the music world lost a true icon today. Les Paul (Lester William Polfus) left the world at 94 years of age, leaving behind a musical legacy that has guitar players around the world strumming sad chords. His musical career lasted more than 80 years, during which he developed a style of playing and a guitar tone that are instantly recognizable. In addition to his music, he also leaves behind the Gibson guitars that bore his name. If you're not familiar with guitar gear, ask a serious player and he'll probably be happy to fill you in. He also played a crucial role in the development of multi-track recording.

We won't go into the story of his life, since there are several movies, like The Wizard of Waukesha and Chasing Sound: Les Paul at 90 that do a far better job, but, in his honor, we're going to spend the rest of the afternoon with his records cranked through the speakers in our office. We suggest you do the same. And if there is a positive aspect of this, it's that his passing may bring his music to a whole new generation. And if you know someone who isn't familiar with his work, tell them to drop the Guitar Hero controller and check out some video clips. Here's one to get them started.