Tuesday May 31, 2011
Source: Summerfest
Location: Summerfest
MILWAUKEE – May 31, 2011 – Summerfest officials are excited to announce significant savings on admission to Summerfest with low cost alternative packages, as well as deals on other local attractions and businesses.
Milwaukee Brewers and Summerfest 2 for $24 Ticket Package
Summerfest and the Brewers have teamed up again to offer a ticket package that includes one Summerfest General Admission ticket, good any time during Summerfest 2011, as well as one Terrace Reserved ticket to the Brewers home games against the Rays & Twins June 20-24. The package also includes a special edition Brewers-Summerfest long sleeve t-shirt. To order, visit brewers.com/summerfest or call (414) 902-4000. This offer ends June 24.
Harley - Davidson Museum® and Summerfest Rock-N-Roll 2-For-$20 Ticket Package
The package includes one Summerfest General Admission ticket, good any time during Summerfest 2011, as well as one adult admission to the Harley-Davidson Museum, good through December 31, 2011. The $20 package represents a collective savings of $11. Patrons can order online now at Summerfest.com through June 10, 2011.
Cost Cutters Family Hair Salon Ticket Offer
Beginning now, spend $30 or more at any participating Milwaukee area Cost Cutters salon and receive one free Summerfest General Admission ticket while supplies last. Visit Costcutters.com for a location nearest you.
The Business Journal Power Lunch
All patrons presenting an original coupon (printed in the Business Journal) will receive one FREE admission ticket valid Noon – 2:00 pm any weekday (7 days). Duplications will not be accepted, original coupons only.
Summerfest 2011 will take place June 29th – July 3rd and July 5th – 10th, from noon until midnight, daily. Summerfest will be closed Monday, July 4th. The World’s Largest Music Festival and Milwaukee’s cornerstone summer celebration attracts the music industry’s hottest stars, emerging talent, and local favorites. The Marcus Amphitheater and 10 additional stages, along with a diverse selection of food and beverage vendors, marketplaces, and interactive exhibits, are set against the Lake Michigan and downtown backdrops. The aforementioned creates a festival experience like no other. Patrons can also enjoy Miller Lite, the Official Beer of Summerfest. For more details visit Summerfest.com.
Friday March 18, 2011
Source: Summerfest/Milwaukee World Festival
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Summerfest announces “Let’s Fest!” campaign with 100,000 ticket giveaway, opening day headliners, and introduces a limited edition commemorative opening day ticket.
Summerfest officials are excited to announce preliminary plans for the “Let’s Fest!” campaign to reward Summerfest fans and promote Summerfest 2011. Elements of the campaign were exclusively revealed via a new “Summerfest Insider” video on Summerfest.com at Noon CST, which included plans to give away over 100,000 Summerfest tickets to Fest-fans now through Summerfest 2011, which runs June 29–July 3 and July 5–10. Fest-fans are encouraged to stay connected to Summerfest, its sponsors, and marketing partners to find out how they can win various tickets in the upcoming weeks. The video clip was the first in a series of new “Summerfest Insider” social media video clips which will keep Fest-goers connected to the latest and greatest Summerfest news, updates, and inside information by simply “Liking” Summerfest on Facebook and visiting Summerfest.com.
As part of the “Let’s Fest!” ticket giveaway, Summerfest is celebrating its new opening day, Wednesday, June 29, in a big way by introducing a new limited edition, Commemorative Opening Day Ticket valid only on Wednesday, June 29. The Commemorative Opening Day Ticket also includes a bonus coupon for a $1.00 beer during the World’s Largest Happy Hour, sponsored by Hooter’s, during a return visit on the following Wednesday, July 6 from 5:00–7:00pm. The collectable ticket carries over a $20 value; however, the ticket is not available for purchase. Summerfest will give away 44,000 of the Commemorative Opening Day Tickets in honor of its 44th Anniversary and the new Opening Day, Wednesday June 29, and to thank Fest-fans for their decades of support. Fans can score these special tickets through participating in new “Let’s Fest!” promotions, such as upcoming social media driven scavenger hunts, surprise events, online video contests, and more. Details on these opportunities will be forthcoming in the weeks and months ahead. To amplify the Opening Day festivities, Summerfest will host mega-Opening Day headlining performances by Hall & Oates, Jack’s Mannequin, Meatloaf, Saving Abel, Buddy Guy, Matisyahu, Max Weinberg, and many more. Summerfest will announce the Marcus Amphitheater headliner slated for Opening Day next week. Opening Day will also feature other fun surprises and a fireworks show like never before, as Summerfest and Bartollota Fireworks team up to create Summerfest’s Biggest Bang Ever with a massive, “can’t miss” spectacle salute finale.
New this year, Summerfest will let fans “be first to know” about this year’s line-up through new Summerfest Headliner Release Parties coming in April. These new events will take place all over town, and Summerfest and its sponsors will exclusively announce one stage’s headliner line-up, “live” at each event, and prior to issuing any social media or press releases on the information. The Headliner Release Parties will be free to the public. Those in attendance will receive a Commemorative Opening Day Ticket and have a chance to win Summerfest tickets and prize packs, including Marcus Amphitheater tickets, VIP access and more.
Fans are encouraged to stay connected to Summerfest and check Summerfest.com, “Like” Summerfest on Facebook or follow Summerfest on Twitter to find out how they can get their Summerfest tickets and Commemorative Opening Day Tickets this year and be on the lookout for surprise Summerfest Street Team visits over the next few months at local bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues around the city.
Get ready for an amazing Summerfest in 2011. “Let’s Fest!” Summerfest 2011 will take place June 29–July 3 and July 5–10, from Noon until Midnight, daily. Summerfest will be closed Monday, July 4. The World’s Largest Music Festival and Milwaukee’s cornerstone summer celebration attracts the music industry’s hottest stars, emerging talent, and local favorites. The Marcus Amphitheater and 10 additional stages, along with, a diverse selection of food and beverage vendors, marketplaces, and interactive exhibits are set against the Lake Michigan and downtown backdrops. They create a festival experience like no other. Patrons can also enjoy Miller Lite, the Official Beer of Summerfest.
Monday October 18, 2010
Source: Tenth Street Entertainment
Location: Los Angeles, California
Milwaukee’s 102.9 The Hog/WHQG-FM announced today it will introduce international rock icon Nikki Sixx to its audience tonight, October 18. The station will air the nationally syndicated Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx weekdays from 7 p.m. to midnight, and The Side Show Countdown with Nikki Sixx on Sundays from 8 - 10 p.m. local time.
Each night on Sixx Sense, host Nikki Sixx discusses music and lifestyle topics as he gives listeners a backstage look at the world and mind of a rock star. Joined by co-host Kerri Kasem, Sixx provides his unique perspective and attitude as the duo welcomes celebrity guests, recording artists and fascinating characters from all walks of life. All this and more is coupled with the radio station’s playlist. The Side Show Countdown with Nikki Sixx is a two-hour original weekend program spotlighting the internationally renowned rocker in his role as radio host and tastemaker. In addition to featuring chart-topping music each week, Sixx highlights new and emerging artists, talks with guests from all areas of entertainment, and shares his personal new music pick.
WHQG-FM Program Director Keith Hastings stated, “Nikki Sixx is a flat-out superstar who breaks a lot of rules-luckily we have no rule book for The HOG! Sixx Sense and The Side Show Countdown are perfect for a hard rockin’ city like Milwaukee!” Sixx’s radio programs air in more than 60 markets, both nationally and internationally, including Los Angeles, Dallas/Ft. Worth,Boston, Atlanta, Detroit, Seattle, Tampa, Denver and San Antonio. For additional information, please visit www.1029thehog.com
Since launching last February, Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx and The Side Show Countdown with Nikki Sixx are fast becoming the place to hear it first for guests from all walks of life, including rock royalty, the first man on the moon, authors, actors and everyone in between. Dave Grohl, Jared Leto, Lemmy Kilmister, Perez Hilton, Rob Halford, CSI creator Anthony Zuiker, Four Agreements author Don Miguel Ruiz, Dog The Bounty Hunter and others have joined Sixx and his Sixx Sense co-host Kerri Kasem for their special brand of conversation. In addition, they’ve world-premiered albums and songs for artists and bands like Buckcherry, Drowning Pool and Slash and hosted the announcement for this summer’s OZZFest. Nationally syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx broadcasts Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to midnight local time, and The Side Show Countdown with Nikki Sixx is available for air Saturday or Sunday between 6 a.m. and midnight local time.
Thursday April 8, 2010
Source: Live Nation
RUSH - TIME MACHINE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2010
featuring for the first time ever MOVING PICTURES IN ITS ENTIRETY
Tickets for Rush go on sale in select markets beginning April 16th at LiveNation.com
Rush – Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart – is without question one of the most inventive and compelling groups in rock history, equally famed for both its virtuoso musicianship and provocative songwriting.
Announced today, The Time Machine Tour is an evening with Rush, where they will perform their classics, give a taste of the future – and for the first time ever – feature the Moving Pictures album live in its entirety.
The band is currently working on their 20th studio album with producer Nick Raskulinecz (co-producer from 2007’s Snakes & Arrows) and in addition to their classics plan to showcase a few new tunes live this summer.
“We were off for a year and a half, and now it’s just pouring. Everything is totally crazy and there’s not a minute left in the day. We’ve got these half-dozen songs, and we’ll probably go in the studio and work on a couple of them and see how it goes, perhaps release something – and I say perhaps – and then we plan on being on the road,” says guitarist, Alex Lifeson.
This summer’s Live Nation promoted tour will visit approximately 40 cities throughout North America beginning June 29th in Albuquerque, NM and finishing October 2nd in West Palm Beach, FL with stops along the way in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Holmdel, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington, and more (complete tour itinerary follows).
Rush has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and garnered untold legions of devoted and admiring fans. According to the RIAA, Rush’s sales statistics place RUSH third after The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums by a rock band.
Released in 1981, Moving Pictures was their most successful album, certified 4x Platinum and features some of Rush’s most well known songs and perennial radio favourites Tom Sawyer, Limelight and the Grammy-nominated instrumental YYZ.
“Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage” a documentary created by filmmakers Scot McFadyen & Sam Dunn (whose filmography also includes: “Iron Maiden; Flight 666,” “Metal, A Headbangers Journey” and “Global Metal”) will premiere at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival on April 24th followed by the Canadian premiere at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival on April 29th. The band was also recently showcased in the comedy “I Love You Man” where they play themselves in a concert scene featuring actors Paul Rudd and Jason Segal as uber-fans, a performance which has exposed the band to a whole new generation.
Inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame this past March alongside Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot, Rush has also been nominated for multiple Grammy awards and won a number of Juno Awards. They were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and bestowed the Order of Canada in 1997. Consistently celebrated and respected worldwide, Rush is the most successful Canadian rock band of all time and they remain one of the biggest grossing arena rock bands ever.
Tickets for Rush Time Machine Tour will go on sale beginning April 16th in San Francisco, Uncasville, Saratoga Springs, Denver, Chicago, Wantagh, Seattle and Holmdel at Livenation.com. Tickets for performances in Milwaukee, Sarnia and Syracuse go on sale April 17th, check local listings for ticket information.
Citi® cardmembers will have access to pre-sale tickets through Citi’s Private Pass® Program beginning April 13th in select markets. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.
For complete tour and ticket information, visit: www.rush.com & LiveNation.com
RUSH TIME MACHINE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2010
June 29 Albuquerque, NM Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque
Presents The Pavilion On sale April 17
July 01 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre On sale soon
July 02 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest On sale April 17
July 05 Chicago, IL Charter One Pavilion On sale April 17
July 09 Sarnia, ON Bayfest On sale April 17
July 13 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre On sale soon
July 15 Quebec City, QC Festival d’été de Québec On sale April 28
July 17 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre On sale soon
July 19 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun On sale April 16
July 21 Philadelphia, PA Susquehanna Bank Center On sale soon
July 23 Saratoga Springs, NY SPAC On sale April 16
July 24 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach On sale April 17
August 05 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre On sale soon
August 07 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre On sale April 17
August 09 San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre On sale April 16
August 11 Los Angeles, CA LA Forum On sale soon
August 13 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater On sale soon
August 14 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena On sale soon
August 16 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre On sale April 17
August 20 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena On sale soon
August 22 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater On sale soon
August 25 Omaha, NE Qwest Center On sale soon
August 27 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair On sale April 17
August 29 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena On sale soon
August 31 Allentown, PA Allentown Fair On sale April 24
September 02 Syracuse, NY New York State Fair On sale April 17
September 03 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center On sale April 17
September 14 Boston, MA TD Garden On sale soon
September 16 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center On sale soon
September 18 Washington, DC Jiffy Lube Live Amphitheater On sale soon
September 21 Tulsa, OK BOK Center On sale soon
September 23 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center On sale soon
September 25 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion On sale soon
September 26 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center On sale soon
September 29 Atlanta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre @
Encore Park On sale April 30
October 01 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre On sale soon
October 02 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre On sale soon
Friday January 22, 2010
Source: Summerfest
Location: Milwaukee, WI
MILWAUKEE WORLD FESTIVAL, INC. OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL AT HENRY MAIER FESTIVAL PARK FOR 2010 SEASON
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. officials are excited to announce plans for a new Alternative and Modern Rock music festival that will take place Friday, June 4 and Saturday, June 5, to kick off the summer festival season at Henry Maier Festival Park.
The management of Summerfest will plan, promote and produce the new music festival which will feature three stages of Alternative and Modern Rock bands, including a nonstop lineup of national and regional headliners, action sports competitions, marketplace shopping and interactive exhibits for young adult music fans. FM102/1 will be the presenting radio sponsor for the festival.
“The first weekend in June will provide music fans with nationally and internationally known alternative and modern rock bands. It will be a fun weekend and a great way to kick-off summer,” said Don Smiley, President and Chief Executive Officer of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.
The festival is being launched with a public naming contest. Music fans, artists, designers and festival-goers everywhere will have the opportunity to name and brand the festival. The contest begins today at the website www.yourmusicfest.com. Submissions should include a logo treatment and will be accepted online through February 21 with Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. officials determining the top three finalists’ submissions. Starting March 1, the public will have one week to review the finalists’ submissions and vote to determine the name and logo of the new festival at www.yourmusicfest.com.
The naming contest winner, preliminary music lineup and other details will be announced on March 10, 2010, along with the new festival’s official website. The naming contest winner will receive a VIP experience at the festival, including roundtrip airfare for two (originating in the Continental U.S.), hotel accommodations in Milwaukee, tickets to the festival, an assigned parking space, VIP hospitality access, backstage passes, meet & greets, signed merchandise from the bands, and a themed profile on Summerfest.com and the new festival’s website. For more details and contest rules, visit www.yourmusicfest.com.
Tickets for the festival will be available for purchase starting Wednesday, March 10 at 10:00am on www.yourmusicfest.com with no incremental fees and on Ticketmaster via phone at 1-800-745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com, and at Ticketmaster outlets. Advanced single day passes are $25, advanced two-day passes are $40, and day-of admission is $35 per day. Capacity at this event is limited, so patrons are encouraged to buy their tickets early.
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. is the non-profit organization that plans, promotes and produces Summerfest, The World’s Largest Music Festival. This year, Summerfest takes place from June 24th – July 4th, 2010. For more details, visit Summerfest.com.
Wednesday December 16, 2009
Source: Speakeasy PR
Location: Los Angeles
Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle) returns to the road this spring, bringing his latest incarnation, the shape-shifting Puscifer, to cities throughout Eastern North America for an all encompassing evening of entertainment that Spin Magazine described as an “X-rated episode of Hee-Haw,” the Las Vegas Review Journal dubbed as “a performance art spectacle” and the Salt Lake Tribune said the event “...challenged our preconceptions of what to expect from a rock show.”
“Efforts to confine our beloved enigma to the Southwestern United States have been thwarted.” said Keenan. “We are compelled beyond all reason to bring the noise Eastward and share our special sauce. Although authorities suggest you be prepared for any and all possibilities, we simply suggest you arrive happy and hungry.”
Cities with two performances will feature two entirely different evenings of music, comedy and performances.
March 2 Atlanta, GA CW Center Stage
March 3 Atlanta, GA CW Center Stage
March 5 Washington, DC Lincoln Center
March 6 Washington, DC Lincoln Center
March 8 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts
March 9 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts
March 11 New York, NY Grand Ballroom
March 13 New York, NY Apollo Theater
March 15 Boston, MA Berklee Academy of Music
March 16 Boston, MA Berklee Academy of Music
March 19 Toronto, ON Queen Elizabeth Theater
March 20 Toronto, ON Queen Elizabeth Theater
March 21 Lorain, OH Lorain Theater
March 23 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Theater
March 24 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Theater
March 26 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
March 27 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
March 29 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
March 30 St. Louis, MO Roberts Orpheum Theater
March 31 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater
April 2 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theater
April 3 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theater
While the concept for Puscifer came to Keenan in 1995, it wasn’t until 2007 that the collective released their debut album, V is for V*****, which was followed by a remix album fittingly titled V is for V*****. Valentine’s Day 2009 saw the live debut of the outfit, as the group of musicians and comedians hosted a trio of performances at The Pearl inside the Palms Casino Resort in sin-city itself, Las Vegas. A Fall 2009 tour wrapped up in early December with the group performing eighteen shows in eleven cities. Puscifer’s recently released a six-song EP titled C is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference HERE) EP.
Puscifer features a rotating cast of players involved in the recordings, which includes the aforementioned Keenan as well as Mat Mitchell, Tim Alexander, Jonny Polonsky, Matt McJunkins, Jeff Friedl, Carina Round, Lustmord, God, Laura Milligan, Milla Jovovich Gil & Rani Sharone, Danny Lohner, Josh Eustis, and Juliette Commagere.
On sale dates will begin in early 2010 and vary by city, please visit Puscifer.com for full details.
Monday August 17, 2009
Source: Jazz Promo Services
Location: New York City
New York, NY…August 13, 2009…Les Paul, acclaimed guitar player, entertainer and inventor, passed away from complications of severe pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plain, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones. He had been receiving the best available treatment through this final battle and in keeping with his persona, he showed incredible strength, tenacity and courage. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks for the thoughts and prayers from his dear friends and fans. Les Paul was 94.
One of the foremost influences on 20th century sound and responsible for the world’s most famous guitar, the Les Paul model, Les Paul’s prestigious career in music and invention spans from the 1930s to the present. Though he’s indisputably one of America’s most popular, influential, and accomplished electric guitarists, Les Paul is best known as an early innovator in the development of the solid body guitar. His groundbreaking design would become the template for Gibson’s best-selling electric, the Les Paul model, introduced in 1952. Today, countless musical legends still consider Paul’s iconic guitar unmatched in sound and prowess. Among Paul’s most enduring contributions are those in the technological realm, including ingenious developments in multi-track recording, guitar effects, and the mechanics of sound in general.
Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915, Les Paul was already performing publicly as a honky-tonk guitarist by the age of 13. So clear was his calling that Paul dropped out of high school at 17 to play in Sunny Joe Wolverton’s Radio Band in St. Louis. As Paul’s mentor, Wolverton was the one to christen him with the stage name “Rhubarb Red,” a moniker that would follow him to Chicago in 1934. There, Paul became a bonafide radio star, known as both hillbilly picker Rhubarb Red and Django Reinhardt-informed jazz guitarist Les Paul. His first recordings were done in 1936 on an acoustic—alone as Rhubarb Red, as well as backing blues singer Georgia White. The next year he formed his first trio, but by 1938 he’d moved to New York to begin his tenure on national radio with one of the more popular dance orchestras in the country, Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians.
Tinkering with electronics and guitar amplification since his youth, Les Paul began constructing his own electric guitar in the late ’30s. Unhappy with the first generation of commercially available hollowbodies because of their thin tone, lack of sustain, and feedback problems, Paul opted to build an entirely new structure. “I was interested in proving that a vibration-free top was the way to go,” he has said. “I even built a guitar out of a railroad rail to prove it. What I wanted was to amplify pure string vibration, without the resonance of the wood getting involved in the sound.” With the good graces of Epiphone president Epi Stathopoulo, Paul used the Epiphone plant and machinery in 1941 to bring his vision to fruition. He affectionately dubbed the guitar “The Log.”
Les Paul’s tireless experiments sometimes proved to be dangerous, and he nearly electrocuted himself in 1940 during a session in the cellar of his Queens apartment. During the next two years of rehabilitation, Les earned his living producing radio music. Forced to put the Pennsylvanians and the rest of his career on hold, Les Paul moved to Hollywood. During World War II, he was drafted into the Army but permitted to stay in California, where he became a regular player for Armed Forces Radio Service. By 1943 he had assembled a trio that regularly performed live, on the radio, and on V-Discs. In 1944 he entered the jazz spotlight—thanks to his dazzling work filling in for Oscar Moore alongside Nat King Cole, Illinois Jacquet, and other superstars —at the first of the prestigious Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts.
By his mid-thirties, Paul had successfully combined Reinhardt-inspired jazz playing and the western swing and twang of his Rhubarb Red persona into one distinctive, electrifying style. In the Les Paul Trio he translated the dizzying runs and unusual harmonies found on Jazz at the Philharmonic into a slower, subtler, more commercial approach. His novelty instrumentals were tighter, brasher, and punctuated with effects. Overall, the trademark Les Paul sound was razor-sharp, clean-shaven, and divinely smooth.
As small combos eclipsed big bands toward the end of World War II, Les Paul Trio’s popularity grew. They cut records for Decca both alone and behind the likes of Helen Forrest, the Andrews Sisters, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Dick Hayes, and, most notably, Bing Crosby. Since 1945, when the crooner brought them into the studio to back him on a few numbers, the Trio had become regular guests on Crosby’s hit radio show. The highlight of the session was Paul’s first No. 1 hit and million-seller, the gorgeous “It’s Been a Long, Long Time.”
Meanwhile, Paul began to experiment with dubbing live tracks over recorded tracks, also altering the playback speed. This resulted in “Lover (When You’re Near Me),” his revolutionary 1947 predecessor to multi-track recording. The hit instrumental featured Les Paul on eight different electric guitar parts, all playing together. In 1948, Paul nearly lost his life to a devastating car crash that shattered his right arm and elbow. Still, he convinced doctors to set his broken arm in the guitar-picking and cradling position. Laid up but undaunted, Paul acquired a first generation Ampex tape recorder from Crosby in 1949, and began his most important multi-tracking adventure, adding a fourth head to the recorder to create sound-on-sound recordings. While tinkering with the machine and its many possibilities, he also came up with tape delay. These tricks, along with another recent Les Paul innovation—close mic-ing vocals—were integrated for the first time on a single recording: the 1950 No. 1 tour de force “How High the Moon.” This historic track was performed during a duo with future wife Mary Ford. The couple’s prolific string of hits for Capitol Records not only included some of the most popular recordings of the early 1950s, but also wrote the book on contemporary studio production. The dense but crystal clear harmonic layering of guitars and vocals, along with Ford’s close mic-ed voice and Paul’s guitar effects, produced distinctively contemporary recordings with unprecedented sonic qualities. Through hits, tours, and popular radio shows, Paul and Ford kept one foot in the technological vanguard and the other in the cultural mainstream.
All the while, Les Paul continued to pine for the perfect guitar. Though The Log came close, it wasn’t quite what he was after. In the early 1950s, Gibson Guitar would cultivate a partnership with Paul that would lead to the creation of the guitar he’d seen only in his dreams. In 1948, Gibson elected to design its first solidbody, and Paul, a self-described “dyed-in-the-wool Gibson man,” seemed the right man for the job. Gibson avidly courted the guitar legend, even driving deep into the Pennsylvania mountains to deliver the first model to newlyweds Les Paul and Mary Ford.
“Les played it, and his eyes lighted up,” then-Gibson President Ted McCarty has recalled. The year was 1950, and Paul had just signed on as the namesake of Gibson’s first electric solidbody, with exclusive design privileges. Working closely with Paul, Gibson forged a relationship that would change popular culture forever. The Gibson Les Paul model—the most powerful and respected electric guitar in history—began with the 1952 release of the Les Paul Goldtop. After introducing the original Les Paul Goldtop in 1952, Gibson issued the Black Beauty, the mahogany-topped Les Paul Custom, in 1954. The Les Paul Junior (1954) and Special (1955) were also introduced before the canonical Les Paul Standard hit the market in 1958. With revolutionary humbucker pickups, this sunburst classic has remained unchanged for the half-century since it hit the market.
“The world has lost a truly innovative and exceptional human being today. I cannot imagine life without Les Paul. He would walk into a room and put a smile on anyone’s face. His musical charm was extraordinary and his techniques unmatched anywhere in the world,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. “We will dedicate ourselves to preserving Les’ legacy to insure that it lives on forever. He touched so many lives throughout his remarkable life and his influence extends around the globe and across every boundary. I have lost a dear, personal friend and mentor, a man who has changed so many of our lives for the better.”
“I don’t think any words can describe the man we know as Les Paul adequately. The English language does not contain words that can pay enough homage to someone like Les. As the “Father of the Electric Guitar”, he was not only one of the world’s greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world,” said Dave Berryman, President of Gibson Guitar. “I have had the privilege to know and work with Les for many, many years and his passing has left a deep personal void. He was simply put – remarkable in every way. As a person, a musician, a friend, an inventor. He will be sorely missed by us all,”
With the rise of the rock ’n’ roll revolution of 1955, Les Paul and Mary Ford’s popularity began to wane with younger listeners, though Paul would prove to be a massive influence on younger generation of guitarists. Still, Paul and Ford maintained their iconic presence with their wildly popular television show, which ran from 1953-1960. In 1964, the couple, parents to a son and daughter, divorced. Paul began playing in Japan, and recorded an LP for London Records before poor health forced him to take time off—as much as someone so inspired can take time off.
In the 1977, Paul resurfaced with a Grammy-winning Chet Atkins collaboration, Chester and Lester. Then the ailing guitarist, who’d already suffered arthritis and permanent hearing loss, had a heart attack, followed by bypass surgery.
Ever stubborn, Les recovered, and returned to live performance in the late 1980s. Even releasing the 2005 double-Grammy winner Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played, featuring collaborations with a veritable who’s who of the electric guitar, including dozens of illustrious fans like Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Joe Perry. In 2008, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid tribute to Les Paul in a week-long celebration of his life which culminated with a live performance by Les himself. Until recently Les continued to perform two weekly New York shows with the Les Paul Trio, at The Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, for over twelve years where a literal who’s who of the entertainment world has paid homage. It has been an honor to have Les Paul perform at The Iridium Jazz Club for the past twelve years hosting such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and others and is a tragic loss to owner Ron Sturm both personally and professionally. Iridium intends to celebrate Les Paul’s music and legacy every Monday night.
Les Paul has since become the only individual to share membership into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Les is survived by his three sons Lester (Rus) G. Paul, Gene W. Paul and Robert (Bobby) R. Paul, his daughter Colleen Wess, son-in-law Gary Wess, long time friend Arlene Palmer, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. A private Funeral service will be held in New York. A service in Waukesha, WI will be announced at a later date. Details will follow and will be announced for all services. Memorial tributes for the public will be announced at a future date. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Les Paul Foundation, 236 West 30th Street, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10001.
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