New York - Asked to name music superstars, few in the general public would immediately think of Les Paul. But 100 years after his birth, his many admirers are hoping to promote him as one of modern music's indispensable figures.
Paul, who died in 2009, was an acclaimed jazz guitarist but also a prolific inventor. He paved the way for the rock era by pioneering the electric guitar and revolutionized how artists record music.
On what would have been his 100th birthday Tuesday, a foundation dedicated in his legacy set up a mini-museum for the day in New York's Times Square with a tribute concert in the evening.
"We're reintroducing Les. We sometimes joke around that Les is the most famous person nobody knows," said Michael Braunstein, the executive director of the Les Paul Foundation.
"When you ask children, or a certain generation, they think Les Paul is (only) a guitar," he said, referring to the Gibson instruments that bear his name.
Braunstein -- who, along with his grandfather and father, served successively as Paul's manager -- argued that the guitarist's impact was unique for its wide scope.
"We argue that Les is the most influential and important individual in the music industry ever," Braunstein said.
AFP
