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Photograph ©2008 Thomas Faivre-Duboz. Some Rights Reserved

From SPIN.com - "Les Paul, famed jazz virtuoso and inventor of Gibson's popular guitar series, died Thursday in White Plains, NY, of compilations from pneumonia, according to CNN. He was 94.

Born Lester William Polfuss on June 9, 1915, in Waukesha, WI, Paul is most famous for his influential guitar playing and innovations in recording and instrument technology, which laid the ground work for rock'n'roll. Never satisfied with his instrument, Paul experimented with different designs, and in the 1930s crafted one the world's first solid body electric guitars from a log. The design was bought and refined by Gibson guitars in 1952 and dubbed the Les Paul -- an electric instrument emblematic of the rock sound that has been played by many musicians, including Jimmy Page, Neil Young, Slash, and Billie Jo Armstrong.

"Suddenly, it was recognized that power was a very important part of music,"Paul said of his guitar's effect on music. "To have the dynamics, to have the way of expressing yourself beyond the normal limits of an unamplified instrument, was incredible."

Paul was also celebrated for his inventions in multi-track recording, which allowed different musicians to layer tracks in the studio. This technology would change the face of music recording forever and seal Paul a place in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005."...READ MORE

CNN reports other famous guitarists paying tribute to Paul - "Les Paul was truly a 'one of a kind.' We owe many of his inventions that made the rock 'n roll sound of today to him, and he was the founding father of modern music," B.B. King said in a statement. "This is a huge loss to the music community and the world. I am honored to have known him."

Joe Satriani said in a statement: "Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar hero and the kindest of souls. Last October I joined him onstage at the Iridium club in [New York], and he was still shredding. He was and still is an inspiration to us all."

In a statement, Slash said, "Les Paul was a shining example of how full one's life can be; he was so vibrant and full of positive energy."

Photograph from Roadsidepictures. Some Rights Reserved.

Via The Associated Press, Guitarist Joe Satriani called Paul "the original guitar hero", saying: "Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed."

Famous guitarists of every musical genre have picked up a Les Paul at some point in their career, including Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day), Bumblefoot (Guns N' Roses), Lindsey Buckingham, Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard), Chris Chasse (Rise Again), Graham Coxon (Blur), Eric Clapton, Steve Clark (Def Leppard), Sheryl Crow, Al Di Meola, Andy Dunlop (Travis), Elliot Easton (Cars), David "The Edge" Evans (U2), Don Felder (Eagles), Ace Frehley (KISS), John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead), David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam), Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac), Steve Hackett (Genesis), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, James Hetfield (Metallica), Noel Hogan (The Cranberries), James Honeyman-Scott (The Pretenders), Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones), Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), Terry Kath (Chicago), Alex Lifeson (Rush) Kerry Livgren (Kansas), Paul McCartney (The Beatles), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Bob Marley, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Tom Scholz (Boston), Neal Schon (Santana, Journey), Slash (Guns N Roses), Earl Slick (David Bowie), Pete Townshend (The Who), Ray Toro (My Chemical Romance), Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), Nancy Wilson (Heart), Zakk Wylde, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, and even more musicians listed at musiciansfriend.

Photograph ©2009 MiseryXchord. ARR.  MXC + 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom

When I was a little kid, I wanted to grow up to be Brian May. I started off playing guitar when I was around 7, and one year my dad (who I only saw once a year or so) sent me this guitar for Christmas. He passed away some time after that while I was cut off from him during family strife due to my parents divorce, and I never got a chance to thank him for it. It is absolutely my most cherished possession. I will never part with it, and if the house burns, the guitar gets out first.