Les Paul Documentary Marks Anniversary of the Guitar Great's Passing

One year ago today, Les Paul, the father of the electric guitar, passed away at age 94. He’s not forgotten: The New York jazz club Iridium — where Paul had weekly performances — continues to host tribute nights once a week. And on August 26th, CNN International will pay tribute to Paul with the documentary Les Paul: the Original Guitar Hero. The program will focus on his contributions to rock & roll through interviews with Paul McCartney, Slash and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. "Les was the great innovator, the great experimenter," McCartney said in a statement.

Revisit Rolling Stone’s Les Paul coverage in our archives:

•Les Paul in his own words: Hear his last Rolling Stone interview.
•Les Paul in RS's list of the Greatest Guitarists of All Time
•David Fricke on Jeff Beck's scorching Les Paul tribute show.
•Les Paul: Revisit the guitar great's life in photos.
•Gibson's CEO remembers Les Paul, "The Father of the Modern Guitar."
•Les Paul remembered: Guitar greats on their true hero.
•Les Paul: Guitar legend dies at 94.
•Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora remembers Les Paul.

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Song Stories

“Too Close”

Next | 1998

Next was formed in Minneapolis when the uncle of Terry "T-Low" and Raphael "Tweety" Brown, who was a gospel choir director, introduced the brothers to Robert Lavelle "R.L." Huggar. Sounds of Blackness singer Ann Nesby groomed the R&B group before handing them over to Naughty by Nature's KayGee, who wrote and produced "Too Close." The idea for the song was sparked "from a conversation we had with several girls at a nightclub," explained T-Low. "It's talking about the club scene, with guys getting out of hand and the female telling him to back up, asking, 'What are you doing?'" 

More Song Stories entries »

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