Les Paul (born Lester William Polsfuss in 1915) was a jazz,
country, and blues guitarist. He was also a luthier, song-writer and inventor.
If you’ve never heard his music, I’d recommend listening to the 1945 recording
of “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” with Bing Crosby, Les Paul and his trio. The
Harry James/Kitty Kallen version of this song (which debuted the very same
week) is the one you’ll hear in Captain America: the Winter Soldier, but the Crosby/Paul
version is better. It’s actually a vocal/guitar duet, with Les more than
holding his own against Bing’s unique scatting. In 1948, Les was in a horrible car
accident on Route 66 near Davenport, Oklahoma which nearly ended his life.
Doctors told him his right arm may have to be amputated. In the end, a
specialist managed to fuse his arm at a right angle, which probably made
getting dressed very difficult, but allowed him to continue playing guitar another
sixty-one years.
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