Les Paul Funeral, Public Viewing and Memorials Scheduled

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Guitar great Les Paul will be buried Friday, August 21st, at a private ceremony in his hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin's Prairie Home Cemetery. Fans will be able to pay their respects to "the father of the modern guitar" this week when Paul's body is put on display at Milwaukee's Discovery World science and technology museum, the AP reports. A private ceremony for Paul is also planned for today, August 19th, in New York City, with a reception to follow at the Gibson Showroom, Paul's manager said.

Read Rolling Stone's Les Paul obituary here.

Paul, who passed away in White Plains, New York, on August 13th at the age of 94 following complications from pneumonia, will also be the subject of a free exhibit at the Discovery World museum that features some of his famed guitars and a screening of Paul's last Wisconsin concert from Milwaukee's Pabst Theatre from 2008.

Paul's mother is also buried in Waukesha's Prairie Home Cemetery, as well as other members of the Paul family. Les' plot will be in a larger area to allow for fans to visit his final resting place.

Les Paul's life in photos: Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen and more stars with the father of the electric guitar.

"My friend & mentor Les Paul died today at 94, he was one of the most stellar human beings I've ever known, rest in peace Les," guitarist Slash said in the hours after Paul's death on August 13th.

Related Stories:
• Les Paul Remembered: Guitar Greats on Their True Hero
• Les Paul in His Own Words: Hear His Last Rolling Stone Interview
• Bon Jovi's Sambora on Les Paul, "A Legend in His Own Lifetime"

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Song Stories

“V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F.”

Fishbone | 1985

Quite a few musicians have utilized initials for song titles -- Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T.," Abba's "S.O.S.," Donald Fagen's "I.G.Y.," etc. But the more curiously initialed tune has to be "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F.," short for "Voyage to the Land of the Freeze-Dried Godzilla Farts." Fishbone's original guitarist, Kendall Jones, explained to Rolling Stone, "When Norwood [Fisher] wrote it, he introduced it to the band saying, 'Man, I've been hearing about all these Nazi right-wing groups on the news saying the Holocaust was staged. So what if America said it never dropped two atom bombs on Japan, that it was actually Godzilla popping a couple off?' Only Norwood would come up with something that out." The same year "V.T.T.L.O.T.F.D.G.F." was released, the film Godzilla 1985 appeared in North America.

More Song Stories entries »

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