http://larryherzberg.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/r-i-p-les-paul/ Larry A. Herzberg's Blog Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:55:28 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://larryherzberg.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/r-i-p-les-paul/comment-page-1/#comment-10896 Larry Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:21:22 +0000 http://larryherzberg.com/wordpress/?p=473#comment-10896 Yeah, the PBS documentary on him nicely depicted his sunny personality. I always associate him with my first real electric guitar, a gold-top Les Paul Standard that I loved. I only gave up playing it in my mid-20s, when I was working 6 nights a week in L.A. clubs. Those guitars were just too damn heavy (I think they gave me a permanent bend in my spine and an over-developed left shoulder). But their action was unparalleled in those days. Yeah, the PBS documentary on him nicely depicted his sunny personality. I always associate him with my first real electric guitar, a gold-top Les Paul Standard that I loved. I only gave up playing it in my mid-20s, when I was working 6 nights a week in L.A. clubs. Those guitars were just too damn heavy (I think they gave me a permanent bend in my spine and an over-developed left shoulder). But their action was unparalleled in those days.

]]> http://larryherzberg.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/r-i-p-les-paul/comment-page-1/#comment-10894 John Whitney Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:48:52 +0000 http://larryherzberg.com/wordpress/?p=473#comment-10894 I probably have told you I had a chance to meet him a few years back when he was in Waukesha for a fundraiser and visited the music store where my brother works. Without a pang of guilt, I cancelled my classes and drove down with my largely unplayed Les Paul guitar and got him to sign it for me. He was 90+ then, but still sharp and very funny. Fascinating to chat with. His presence created a stir in the store when people who didn't really know who he was sensed that he was a celebrity. The funniest moment was when a very busty teenage girl came over and asked him to sign her very tight t-shirt. As he was doing his best to sign her boobs with his sharpie, he turned to me with a huge smile, winked and said "I've got a great job". I probably have told you I had a chance to meet him a few years back when he was in Waukesha for a fundraiser and visited the music store where my brother works. Without a pang of guilt, I cancelled my classes and drove down with my largely unplayed Les Paul guitar and got him to sign it for me. He was 90+ then, but still sharp and very funny. Fascinating to chat with. His presence created a stir in the store when people who didn’t really know who he was sensed that he was a celebrity. The funniest moment was when a very busty teenage girl came over and asked him to sign her very tight t-shirt. As he was doing his best to sign her boobs with his sharpie, he turned to me with a huge smile, winked and said “I’ve got a great job”.

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