Les Paul, Innovator

Les Paul passed away on Thursday. He was 94. Musically, he was more involved with popular entertainment than with the kind of music that we write about on this blog. But he invented an instrument that, in many respects, defined twentieth century musical innovation: the solid-body electric guitar.

Beyond defining the sound of rock music, Paul also defined the spirit of electronic curiosity that has been present in so many electroacoustic composers. He showed the world that innovative new sounds could come from a few hours of tinkering with spare parts in the garage. Today, with the prevalence of DIY music and homebrew music software, this spirit is more alive than ever.

Tags: 20th Century Music, guitar, les paul