My son loves Les Paul.

Although my teenager plays the trumpet and he reads & can appreciate music, he does not play the guitar. He is by no means a musician though he listens to music 24/7. My Erik is a well-rounded kid who loves sports, his family & friends, basketball sneakers, sushi and video games. He has never met Mr. Paul nor does he know how he influenced artists, celebrities and musicians from around the globe.

Erik loves that Les Paul was a craftsman and inventor. Although Mr. Paul did not invent the guitar, he created the solid body electric guitar that became the signature for many a rock-and-roll muscian. (My first introduction to Les Paul's influence was through one of my favorite guitarists, Eric Clapton. He played soulfully on a Gibson version of the Les Paul guitar in the 70's.) Erik knows how I love Clapton and how I favor both acoustic & electric guitar music.

Erik first encountered an actual Les Paul guitar at a friends home nearby. The friend was fortunate to get one for a present ( he combined several holidays gifts). He marveled at it's shape, weight and the feel of the guitar's body against his own. He immediately ran home running over with details of the experience and put electric guitar lessons on his own wish list. He does not own a guitar, by the way.

It was later that he realized that Les Paul's name was one in the same with the version of Guitar Hero and through that video game he then recognized that so many musicians made music on one of the many Les Paul guitars. When he ran up the stairs after he put two and two together --- I told him that Les Paul lives very close by in our town, Mahwah, New Jersey. He was stunned. Together we jumped in the car so I could drive him past Mr. Paul's modest home on Ramapo Valley road.

From then on, he was a fan.

Erik did not know Mr. Paul personally. He did come to know and love him for his many dreams, inspirations and for his love of music. He also knew that Mr. Paul loved many, many generations of people from every race and religion. He was not one to look down upon the ideals of youth. In fact, even at the age of 94, he embraced their love of life. their idealism and their creativity.

On August 13, 2009, Les Paul passed away. Erik came home from basketball camp and was saddened by the news. He wanted to drive by his home again just to say goodbye. As we drove past, we nodded, each of us saying an unspoken good bye to a music legend and a neighbor.

For more information about Les Paul follow the links below:

http://www.thirteen.org/pressroom/release.php?get=2539

http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/nov/12/rock-hall-to-honor-les-paul/

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/08/14/2009-08-14_electric_guitar_hero_les_paul_dead_at_94_career_spanned_from_hitmaker_to_musical.html

 For more information about buying or selling your largest financial asset, contact me at CupaT@aol.com. Copyright Pamela Stetson 2009.