Paul, Les (1915-2009), was among the most popular and influential guitarists of the 1900’s. Paul and his wife, Mary Ford, recorded a string of hits during the 1950’s. Paul played the guitar, and his wife sang. Paul was also an inventor. He made major contributions to recording technology and the development of the electric guitar.
Paul was born on June 9, 1915, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. His real name was Lester William Polfus. He was largely self-taught as a guitarist. He played with country music groups in the early 1930’s. He then formed a jazz trio in the late 1930’s. Paul married Ford in 1949, and the couple became popular recording artists. Their hits included “Goofus” (1950), “Tennessee Waltz” (1950), “Little Rock Getaway” (1950), “Mockin’ Bird Hill” (1951), “How High the Moon” (1951), “The World’s Waiting for the Sunrise” (1952), “Tiger Rag” (1953), and “Via con Dios” (1953). Paul and Ford divorced in 1963.
Paul recorded several instrumental hits on his own, including “Nola” (1950), “Whispering” (1951), and “Meet Mister Callaghan” (1952). Paul won a Grammy Award in 1976 for his guitar album Chester and Lester with country music guitarist Chet Atkins.
Paul went into partial retirement from live performances from about 1963 to 1984, when he began appearing with a trio in New York City jazz clubs. Paul continued performing in clubs into the early 2000’s.
Among the many technical innovations Paul developed was multitrack recording. This process involves recording a number of separate tracks (channels of sound). Multitrack recordings had a clearer sound than earlier recordings. Paul helped design an electric guitar, first marketed in 1952 as the Les Paul Standard model, that became popular with musicians. Paul was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005. He died on Aug. 13, 2009.
