August 14, 2009 5:47

Kiss, Bon Jovi men pay tribute to Les Paul

'He was the original guitar hero,' says Joe Satriani

Bon Jovi's guitarist has paid tribute to Les Paul, the designer of the seminal guitar who died today (August 13) at the age of 94.

Richie Sambora, who was a personal friend of Paul's, said that he was "revolutionary in the music business".

"Les lived a very long life and he got to a lot of his goals, so I'm happy for him in that respect," said Sambora. "At least he realized that he was a legend in his own time while he was alive."

Kiss' Paul Stanley also honoured the famed guitar maker. "The name Les Paul is iconic and is known by aspiring and virtuoso guitar players worldwide," Stanley told the Associated Press. "That guitar is the cornerstone of a lot of great music that has been made in the last 50 years."

Renowned guitarist Joe Satriani added, "Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar hero, and the kindest of souls. Last October I joined him onstage at The Iridium club in NYC, and he was still shredding. He was and still is an inspiration to us all."

Read the NME.COM Les Paul Obituary.

Blog - Les Paul: the man who made rock'n'roll look cool

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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