"I took a bit of steel railroad track and strung a string along it, then hooked it up to the radio": The story of Les Paul, the man who invented modern music

British guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page with his arm around American guitarist, songwriter, and luthier Les Paul (1915-2009), with British guitarist and songwriter Jeff Beck attending an event, United States, circa 1985. .

Everything can be traced back to Les Paul. First, consider that he invented the solid-body electric guitar. The Gibson model that has carried his name since the 1950s is one of the most iconic instruments in rock and has been favoured by guitar greats including Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, Mick Ronson, Slash, Paul Kossoff… the list goes on. 

A virtuoso player himself, Paul helped push the boundaries of the guitar with flash and finesse. In his hands it became a powerful new instrument, essentially taking it from a horse-drawn buggy to a sports car.