Item description for Les Paul An American Original Mary Alice Shaughnessy 1st Edition Hardcover Book

A biography of the self-educated electronics genius who invented virtually every technique of modern sound recording discusses his sixty-year career, his invention of the solid-body electric guitar, and his legacy. 30,000 first printing. People staff reporter Shaughnessy has put together a balanced and carefully researched biography of the man who legitimized the electric guitar and became a guru of modern players. A guitarist of stunning facility and a technological tinkerer of the first order, Paul (b. 1915) introduced or promoted advances in recording that, beginning in the 1930s, reshaped the sound of popular music. According to Shaughnessy, Paul's successes both on- and offstage had their price: a near electrocution, a life-threatening auto accident, the failure of his marriage to his longtime partner Mary Ford. She portrays a driven man whose absolute devotion to music has displayed itself from early childhood through the present. Depending on one's viewpoint, Paul is also either a shamelss self-promoter or a gifted raconteur; Shaughnessy notes that during her interviews with the star, he regaled her with expansive tales that turned out to be "embellished." His achievements, however, need no embellishment, and this stylishly crafted book should serve to extend Paul's reputation. Photos not seen by public.

Paul was born Lester Polfuss in Wisconsin in 1915. An early interest in music and electronics--as well as a penchant for perfectionism--made him one of the most important figures in American popular music. As guitarist, bandleader, arranger, and engineer, Paul worked with artists as diverse as Bing Crosby and Eddie Van Halen. With his wife, Mary Ford, he scored Capitol Records' biggest hit prior to the advent of the Beatles. Paul's career began to flounder with the advent of rock'n'roll, which is a great irony considering the impact his innovations have had on rock'n'roll's most important instrument, the electric guitar. Although financially secure, Paul still toured extensively, straining his marriage. His marriage ended and his career fizzled, but Paul continues to be a major influence on the music scene with his line of guitars for Gibson.

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