Imagine a world where the electric guitar never existed; a sound so integral to rock, blues, and pop music would be muted, forever altering the musical landscape we know today. In this alternate reality, the name Les Paul may not even be remembered. Yet, this legendary guitarist, songwriter, and inventor not only pioneered the electric guitar but also revolutionized recording technology, leaving an indelible mark on the music industry. If you don’t know his work, a minute of googling will bring up loving remembrances from nearly everyone in the music industry. It isn’t a stretch to say that without Les’ innovations in guitar and recording technology, the music we love wouldn’t sound the same, either in person or on a record. What sticks with me, though, is his incredible passion for performing. He was one of those artists who simply had to play in order to live. As a young man, his right arm was crushed in a car accident. He had the doctors set and pin it at a permanent 90 degree angle, so he could still hold a guitar. As an older man, arthritis stiffened his fingers beyond bending. He taught himself how to play with them straight.
Read the following introductory paragraph, which is missing a hook: Les Paul was a legendary guitarist, songwriter, and inventor. If you don’t know his work, a minute of googling will bring up loving remembrances from nearly everyone in the music industry. It isn’t a stretch to say that without Les’ innovations in guitar and recording technology, the music we love wouldn’t sound the same, either in person or on a record. What sticks with me, though, is his incredible passion for performing. He was one of those artists who simply had to play in order to live. As a young man, his right arm was crushed in a car accident. He had the doctors set and pin it at a permanent 90 degree angle, so he could still hold a guitar. As an older man, arthritis stiffened his fingers beyond bending. He taught himself how to play with them straight. Which option below makes the most effective hook? Years ago, my first serious boyfriend gave me an old vinyl single of Les Paul and Mary Ford’s How High the Moon. He told me I just had to hear it; it would change my life. He wasn’t right about much, but he was right about that. The Gibson Les Paul guitar is one of the best-selling electric guitars ever made. But I wonder how many people know who Les Paul was? Les Paul was given lifetime achievement awards by both the Grammys and the Emmys, and he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, Time made a list of who it claimed are the ten best electric guitar players of all time: Jimi Hendrix, Slash, B.B. King, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Chuck Berry, Les Paul, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Prince.
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