Les Paul

American jazz guitarist, country guitarist, songwriter and inventor (1915–2009)

Born: 9 June 1915
Waukesha
Died: 12 August 2009
White Plains
Country: United States
Record labels: Columbia Records, Capitol Records, Decca
Discography: 5 albums

Biography

Les Paul was a jazz musician who played guitar and violin. Les Paul was born on 9 June 1915 in Waukesha and died on 12 August 2009 in White Plains. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Columbia Records, Capitol Records and Decca. The discography here lists 5 albums, from “The New Sound!” (1950) to “Armed Forces Radio Service 1945” (2023). Honours include Grammy Trustees Award (1983), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1988) and National Inventors Hall of Fame (2005).

Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, and his prototype, called the Log, served as inspiration for the Gibson Les Paul. Paul taught himself how to play guitar, and while he is mainly known for jazz and popular music, he had an early career in country music. In the 1950s, he and his wife, singer and guitarist Mary Ford, made numerous recordings, selling millions of copies. Paul is credited with many recording innovations. His early experiments with overdubbing (also known as sound on sound), delay effects such as tape delay, phasing, and multitrack recording were among the first to attract widespread attention.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

The New Sound! 1950

Now! 1968

American Made World Played 2005

Armed Forces Radio Service 1945 2023 · Live

The Hit Makers

Awards

1983 Grammy Trustees Award
1988 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
2005 National Inventors Hall of Fame
2010 New Jersey Hall of Fame
National Medal of Arts
Technical Grammy Award

Historic 78 rpm records

Norman Granz' Jazz at the Philharmonic Heyman · Hines · J. J. Johnson · Norman Granz · Jack McVea · Lee… archive.org ↗
Blues, Pt. 2; Blues, Pt. 3 Les Paul · Johnny Miller · Lee Young · Illinois Jacquet · J. J… archive.org ↗
Body And Soul, Part 1; Body And Soul, Part 2 Heyman · Sour · Eyton · Norman Granz · Illinois Jacquet · Jack McVea… archive.org ↗
Jazz at the Philharmonic Caesar · Jack McVea · Les Paul · Palmer · Williams · "Shorty Nadine"… archive.org ↗
LESTER LEAPS IN, Pt. I Jack McVea · Illinois Jacquet · J. J. Johnson · "Shorty" Nadine ·… archive.org ↗
IT'S THE TALK OF THE TOWN; I'VE FOUND A NEW BABY Les Paul and his Trio · Hal Dean · Cal Goodin · Bob Meyer · Les Paul… archive.org ↗
TEA FOR TWO Illinois Jacquet; Jack McVea · J. J. Johnson · Les Paul · "Shorty… archive.org ↗
TEA FOR TWO Illinois Jacquet · Jack McVea · J. J. Johnson · Les Paul · "Shorty… archive.org ↗

Books about Les Paul

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Les Paul play?

Les Paul is known for playing guitar and violin.

When and where was Les Paul born?

Les Paul was born 9 June 1915 in Waukesha.

What are Les Paul's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include The New Sound! (1950), Now! (1968), American Made World Played (2005), Armed Forces Radio Service 1945 (2023) and The Hit Makers.

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.