Les Paul Funeral, Public Viewing and Memorials Scheduled

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

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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