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| Rock guitar pioneer Les Paul dies | Rock guitar pioneer Les Paul dies |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Les Paul, whose pioneering electric guitars were used by a legion of rock stars, has died at the age of 94. | Les Paul, whose pioneering electric guitars were used by a legion of rock stars, has died at the age of 94. |
| Mr Paul died from complications of pneumonia in New York, according to Gibson, the firm that sold his guitars. | Mr Paul died from complications of pneumonia in New York, according to Gibson, the firm that sold his guitars. |
| He is credited with developing one of the first solid-body electric guitars, which went on sale in 1952 and contributed to the birth of rock. | He is credited with developing one of the first solid-body electric guitars, which went on sale in 1952 and contributed to the birth of rock. |
| He also developed other influential recording innovations such as multi-track recording and overdubbing. | He also developed other influential recording innovations such as multi-track recording and overdubbing. |
| And he was credited with inventing the eight-track tape recorder. | And he was credited with inventing the eight-track tape recorder. |
| Les Paul began as a country and jazz musician. Photo: Gene Martin | Les Paul began as a country and jazz musician. Photo: Gene Martin |
| Innovator | |
| U2 guitarist The Edge, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Guns N' Roses star Slash and the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones are among those closely associated with the Les Paul sound. | U2 guitarist The Edge, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Guns N' Roses star Slash and the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones are among those closely associated with the Les Paul sound. |
| Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman of Gibson Guitar, said: "His influence extends around the globe and across every boundary." | Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman of Gibson Guitar, said: "His influence extends around the globe and across every boundary." |
| Gibson president Dave Berryman said: "As the 'father of the electric guitar', he was not only one of the world's greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world." | Gibson president Dave Berryman said: "As the 'father of the electric guitar', he was not only one of the world's greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world." |
| He was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. | |
| Les Paul began as a country and jazz musician, playing with acts such as Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole. Unhappy with acoustic guitars, he designed his solid-body electric guitar in 1941. | |
| It did not go on sale for another 11 years, by which time Leo Fender's rival model was already on the market. | |
| Mr Paul continued to refine his guitar design throughout the 1950s, while also working on other technical innovations. | |
| He first used multi-tracking - where separate recordings are combined - in the 1950 number one hit How High the Moon, a duet with his future wife Mary Ford. |