The "Wizard of Waukesha" would have turned 100 today. If you don't know him by that name, that wizard is Les Paul. A Waukesha, Wisconsin native, Paul is even better known as the inventor of rock and roll—he's the musician who helped create the solid body electric guitar.
It took Paul almost eight years to convince Gibson to manufacture his guitar in the 1950s. The guitar was a huge success, and at one point the instrument accounted for half of Gibson's total sales, a Gibson executive once said.
The instrument bearing his name was used by musicians like Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Slash of Guns N' Roses, and of course Paul himself, who performed regularly at small Manhattan clubs well into his 90s.
“When you just get mixed up, when there's too much going on, then it's time to pick up your guitar," Les Paul said while speaking to the New York Times in 2008. "Whether it's in the kitchen or just some place where you can just play your guitar and clear your head.
Joining The Takeaway to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Les Paul is Rudy Pensa, owner of Rudy’s Music in Manhattan, which has been open for more than three decades.
