Les Paul (1915-2009)

With apologies to Hendrix and Clapton, inventor and musician Les Paul, who died Wednesday at 94, was the most influential rock guitarist ever — even though he was only tangentially involved in rock. Paul was important not just for his instrumental virtuosity, but also for his groundbreaking studio developments and creation of the Gibson solid-body guitar that bears his name, the quintessential rock instrument made famous by such legends as Clapton, Duane Allman, Jimmy Page and Slash.

Paul, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 by guitarist Jeff Beck, died in White Plains, New York, from complications of pneumonia. At the Capitol Records building in Hollywood, where Paul helped develop state-of-the-art recording studios beginning in 1948, the flag was lowered to half-mast.

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

Shortly after news of his death hit the Web on Thursday, Facebook and Twitter feeds lit up with tributes. Slash, whom Paul referred to last year as a "dear friend," tweeted that the guitar innovator "was one of the most stellar human beings I've ever known."

Gary Rossington, the Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist whose fiery Les Paul licks help bring "Free Bird" to its chaotic climax, thinks about Paul every time he steps in front of an audience. "I play a Les Paul guitar every night," said Rossington, whose admiration for Paul doesn't stop when he leaves the stage. "I have a framed T-shirt on my wall signed by Les Paul. He was an amazing guitarist."

Derek Trucks remembers playing at Paul's 90th birthday concert at Carnegie Hall in 2005. "We had some great musical moments," said Trucks. "We did an instrumental version of 'Goodnight Irene.' He was always a really sweet guy."

More guitar greats on Paul's career.

By all accounts, Paul was humble about his importance to music and admired his fellow musicians, regardless of their age. "I learn from them, I enjoy them," he told Rolling Stone's Andy Greene in an unpublished interview last November. "If I'm around the rock guys, I enjoy playing along with them. When I'm with the jazz people, I enjoy playing jazz."

Hear Les Paul in his own words: excerpts from his final RS interview.

As a musician, Paul played a smooth but daring mixture of jazz and country. In addition to inventing his famous solid-body guitar in 1941, he developed studio techniques throughout the Thirties and Forties that are still used in music today, including delay and echo effects, as well as overdubbing and multitracking. His experimentation paved the way for such groundbreaking works as the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heats Club Band and Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, as well as almost every pop song on the charts today.

He formed the Les Paul Trio in the late Thirties, playing alongside stars like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. By the late Forties, he and former wife Mary Ford began recording together, and throughout the Fifties scored a string of Top 10 hits for Capitol including "The Tennessee Waltz," "Mockingbird Hill" and "Vaya con Dios."