Les Paul, the guitarist and inventor who changed the course of music with the electric guitar, died on Thursday of complications from pneumonia. He was 94.
Paul experimented with guitar amplification and created a wood strung instrument with steel strings in 1941. In 1952, Gibson Guitars began manufacturing his designs.
Paul earned 36 gold records and 11 No. 1 pop hits with Mary Ford, his wife from 1949 to 1962. He won two Grammys for an album he released after his 90th birthday, "Les Paul & Friends: American Made, World Played."
Artists including Pete Townsend of The Who, Steve Howe of Yes and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page made the Gibson Les Paul their trademark guitars. (Photo: AP)
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