We are saddened to report that Lester William Polfuss, a.k.a. Les Paul (June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009), has passed away at the age of 94 from complications of severe pneumonia.

From Time.com:

Paul was a guitar and electronics mastermind whose creations — such as multitrack recording, tape delay and the solid-body guitar that bears his name, the Gibson Les Paul — helped give rise to modern popular music, including rock ‘n’ roll. No slouch on the guitar himself, he continued playing at clubs into his 90s despite being hampered by arthritis.

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Paul is enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Inventors Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is survived by three sons, a daughter, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Until recently he had a standing gig at New York’s Iridium Jazz Club, where he would play with a who’s-who of famed musicians.

He admired the places guitarists and engineers took his inventions, but he said there was nothing to replace good, old-fashioned elbow grease and soul.

“I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it’s the right one,” he said in 2002, “and it will probably whip the guy with 20 notes.”

Eric Clapton

Clapton rediscovered the classic late 1950s Les Paul Standard, and put it to good use while playing with John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers and The Yardbirds. He was able to create an amazing variety of sounds out of his Les Paul. Eric Clapton’s early years were marked by his amazing experimentation with tone, and are a testament to the versatility of the instrument.

Slash

Slash, born Saul Hudson on July 23, 1965 in West Hampstead, London, England, became the guitarist of Guns N’ Roses. He has incorporated the sunburst Gibson Les Pauls as part of his trademark look, along with his wild hair and top hat. His famous sound was made possible by his Les Paul and Marshall stack.

Jimmy Page

Page, the former member of The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, is one of the most influential guitarists of all time. His Les Paul added a needed dose of heaviness to classic Zeppelin tracks like “Black Dog” and “Whole Lotta Love”. He continues to use the Gibson Les Paul to good effect to this day.

Bob Marley

Marley, a famous Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician, was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands The Wailers and Bob Marley & the Wailers. As an influential reggae musician, Bob Marley utilized the Les Paul in a unique way to craft his own signature sound. He utilized the guitar’s warmth and smooth, clean tones in his songwriting, showing that the Gibson Les Paul is really one of the most versatile guitars around.

Paul McCartney

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships and wrote some of the most popular rock and roll music in history. When not playing bass, McCartney has often been seen playing 1960-vintage cherryburst left-handed Les Paul Standards.

Pete Townshend

The Who’s Townshend had a signature sound throughout the 1970s primarily produced on Gibson Les Pauls. For much of the decade, he used Gibson Les Paul Deluxes, some with only two mini-humbucker pickups and others modified with a third pickup in the “middle position” – a DiMarzio Superdistortion / Dual Sound. He can be seen using several of these guitars in the documentary The Kids Are Alright.

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