Les for those not familiar with the actual man, was a musician, a guitar player, a husband, a father, a son and friend. His passion for how mechanical things worked led him down many paths but ultimately made him a legend when he invented the solid body electric guitar. After bringing the idea of this new guitar to Gibson and being turned down, he went to another musician/inventor Leo Fender to see if he was interested in getting involved but Leo was working on his own creation, Les tried several more paths and ended back up at Gibson who built, marketed and sold the Gibson Les Paul Electric Guitar in 1952.
I met Les in 2004 when I first began working for Gibson. Honestly I didn't really know that there was an actual man named Les Paul until I begin interviewing for the job. But I of course had seen and heard this guitar the Gibson Les Paul many many times in my life.
When I first met Les he basically blew me off. My gut feeling although I never heard it straight from him, only from his son Russ in a round about way, is that he thought I was a pretty girl Gibson hired and didn't even cross his mind I might know about guitars or actually play one.
Time and time again I would escort Les to a black tie event and walk the red carpet with him. He would use me to fire up his well known antics of being a dirty old man and motor boat me, make insinuating gestures when I turned away from a camera, etc. I didn't mind, he was 89 and it was amusing. We both playing our parts in the circus.
For Les' 90th Birthday I put together a fantastic party for him after his event at Carnegie Hall at the new Gibson Showroom. We had burlesque dancers, my friend Frank Radice's band rocked all night with special guests and Les loved all the attention. My favorite part of the night was worrying about Jose Feliciano walking into things (I didn't know he was blind until that night) and then of course trying to explain to the interns they need to make sure Jose Feliciano didn't fall into things in the showroom.
As time moved on I would visit Les on Monday afternoon at The Iridium Jazz Club in mid-town during sound check, he played every Monday night until months before his death.
I loved to give him a hard time about anything and he loved to do the same. On several occasions he asked me if I would like to sing a number at the show, I declined. One time I finally asked him why he kept asking me to sing and he said "because I can hear in your voice you would be a fine singer" What a compliment coming from a legend.
Of course he did wear two hearing aids.
Les would do interviews on Mondays and I would sit with him, in return for sitting there I got to hear story after story of this great inventor. The last of the Edison-types in my humble opinion.
I loved to ask Les about US Presidents, what they were like, he had played at The White House for every President since Roosevelt. When he told me "I've played at The White House for every President since Roosevelt" I looked at him and said "which one? Teddy?" He like being given a hard time.
Once I asked him about Elenore Roosevelt,
Me: "is it true?"
Les:"is what true?"
Me: "was she really a dyke?"
Les: "well if she wasn't I don't know who is"
I honestly loved being entertained by his stories. He made me long to have my Grandparents around me. Stories of a long gone generation. I think I visited him as much as I did because I felt guilty I couldn't see my own Grandmother who lived in Florida. I would tell Les about my Nana and I would tell my Nana about Les.
Jenny Feeney & I once "double dated" with Les and his son Russ (who's well into his 70's) to the opening of the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. I think Velvet Revolver was playing, all the stairs in the Hard Rock gave me a heart attack thinking about this 90+ year old man falling down them, he flew down all of them, then grabbed my hand and yelled "we gotta go see Slash" and pulled me through a crowd into the backstage. The highlight of the night was Jenny and I completely deaf and Les turned off his freakin hearing aid. He was smiling and watching the show, I swear my ears were bleeding, when I figured out he turned the hearing aids off I was going to kill him for making me sit through Velvet Revolver. Urghhhh.. So typical.
All and all I think I added a lot of value to his life. We had pretty heavy discussions and I wasn't afraid to say "I think you're wrong" I also made him aware of things he said he never thought of before, one afternoon before his death I said "do you realize that because of you thousands of families have food on their tables, people have jobs, careers, etc? all because of you and it continues everyday, you have that much of an impact on thousands of people each day" He said he never thought of that and really liked it.
Les used to like to call me in the middle of the night because he was a night owl and ask questions. I got sober two month before his death so he never really got to experience me sober late a night, usually I was drinking when he called and he totally knew it. Which he seemed fine with, he did say something to me the last time I saw him now that I think about it, "I used to drink a 12 pack a beer a day at least, but I had to give it up or I'd be dead now" I wonder what the story was behind that? I like to think Les would have been proud of my sobriety.
One night in particular he called when Obama had won the presidential candidacy. I was so excited and expressed that to Les. He really didn't think Obama was going to win because he was black and was dead set on voting for McCain. Oh my that was a heated conversation, plus I was well over a bottle of red wine when he phoned, we were on the phone for about two hours. I made it my goal to change this old man's mind before the election.
Les did end up voting for Obama and I saw him the day after the election. He hugged me and cried. "Now I've seen it all, I'm so proud of this country today" He really had seen it all
Les met everyone, he was loved by everyone. I have to tell you rock stars in general are pretty self centered. If I listed the people who hadn't bothered to show up to visit him while they were in NY in the six years I was with Les you would be shocked. Seriously, just stop by and say hello, he often felt forgotten. One person that was always very kind was Slash. Les used to make me call Slash and get him on the phone for him, oy. But Slash was always there for Les.
One more thing I had the honor of doing with Les is actually creating guitars. Les was tired. So when Gibson wanted to do special models that needed Les' input and design, um, I picked them out, brought the idea to Les and he loved them. I would choose the paint, pick ups, binding, etc. Les was always supportive. So there is a good chance that special limited edition LP you are playing is something I designed with Les' approval :) There is at least two or three of these guitars.
I knew he was going to die a few days before he left this world. I cried a lot. But I do know that Les is in heaven with Mary Ford and all his friends playing, his arm isn't stuck in one position, his back doesn't hurt anymore, he can stand up and play if he chooses, drink beer, eat fattening food, chase scantily clad females.... He's happy up there.
Continue to rest in peace my friend. Thank you for being in my life.
Les giving the finger the night he dragged me around the Hard Rock and turned off his hearing aid! I'm most likely on the other side of this photograph. (PS He wore this shirt all the time! At his funeral they hung it up, I said "burn that fucking shirt"
Les as a mad scientist!
