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Happy Birthday, Les!
Mix, Jun 1, 2005
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This month — June 9 to be precise — musician/innovator extraordinaire Les Paul, inventor of the solid-body electric guitar and multitrack recording, marks his 90th birthday. But this guy shows no signs of slowing down; he still consults with Gibson on new guitar designs and plays two shows every Monday night at New York's Iridium nightclub. On June 19, Carnegie Hall partners with the JVC Jazz Festival to present a special concert salute to the master, with the Les Paul Trio joined by a huge lineup of world-renowned musicians.
In keeping with the festivities, we offer our own nod to Les. We asked some industry friends to offer their birthday greetings. But the fun doesn't stop here. Through June 9, we'll upload your message to Les Paul at www.mixonline.com for a special 90th birthday page with rare photos, highlights from his career and more. Send your 25-word maximum greeting with your name to mixeditorial@primediabusiness.com (put “birthday” in the subject line) and we'll post the comments for all to see.
— George Petersen
“Les, you were so nice to me at my uncle's studio [Harry Smith Recording] when I was growing up. It's one of the reasons I'm in this business. Happy birthday and many more!”— Al Schmitt
“Happy birthday, Les! It's been great knowing you, and I look forward to being with you on the 19th. Here's to many more, young man — you inspire me to keep playing!”
— Neal Schon
“In 1951, I heard you and Mary Ford doing ‘How High the Moon’ on the radio and ran out and bought a copy. Other than Mary's voice, there's not one truly natural sound on this fantastic recording. This one single piece of recorded music forever changed the way we experience popular music. Les, you're a brilliant musical and technical talent who's much more than merely ahead of your time. You're a visionary — and you've got soul!”
— Bruce Swedien
“Dear Les, it's a huge b-day. I can only wish and hope that I am as cool as you are when I grow up. Great thing is, you never have! Ha ha! Happy birthday and God bless.”
— Steve Lukather
“Les, you are the chairman of us all. Happy birthday, with love.”
— Phil Ramone
“Les, it's been one of the highlights of my career to have met you and make music with you on a few occasions. Thanks for the privilege and congratulations!”
— Larry Carlton
“Les, you changed the quality of all our lives. If they put an electric guitar in a spaceship time capsule, it would be a Les Paul. Also, I never thought I'd know a person 50 years my elder who can kick my ass so hard on that damn thing. With the deepest of respect and gratitude from all your six-string children.”
— Steve Vai
“A big happy birthday to someone who's such an inspiration to so many guitarists and music lovers around the world. It is truly incredible that you are 90, so I've still got a chance to play some tricks on you. Thanks for making guitars sing!”
— Steve Howe
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