LES PAUL TRIBUTE SHOW

Because of the importance of this show, we've broken from our norm of just streaming the interview clips and decided to make the whole two-hour show available to hear. We've broken it up into four parts for your convenience. Enjoy!

You'll hear rare, live radio performances by the Les Paul Trio from 1947, as well as tracks Les Paul recorded with Mary Ford and later with Chet Atkins.

You'll also hear music from guitarists who used the Gibson Les Paul to create their own magic, including Michael Bloomfield, Freddie King, Jeff Beck, Paul Kossoff with Free, Duane Allman and Dickey Betts with the Allman Brothers, Mick Taylor with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Peter Green with the original Fleetwood Mac and the Bluesbreakers, Eric Clapton with the Bluesbreakers and Cream, Hubert Sumlin with Howlin' Wolf, Mark Knopfler and Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton with Humble Pie.

You'll hear exclusive, previously unheard interview clips with Les Paul himself, courtesy of photographer and journalist Jon Sievert, who interviewed Les in 1977 for Guitar Player magazine.

Guitar Player magazine opened their archives too: You'll hear an excerpt from a 2005 interview with Les by GP's chief editor, Michael Molenda and Andy will read a passage Les Paul wrote to GP readers in 1974 as a member of the magazine's advisory board.

To give us a perspective on the man, his music and his inventions, we've asked four experts to share their thoughts about Les Paul.

You'll hear from Tom Wheeler, who was chief editor of Guitar Player for 10 years. He's a prolific author, having penned the classic American Guitars: An Illustrated History, The Stratocaster Chronicles, and The Soul of Tone: Celebrating 60 Years of Fender Amps. A skilled guitarist himself, Wheeler has interviewed many of the great players and designers of our time and has an unparalleled view of the guitar's evolution.

Another author with a deep knowledge of Les Paul and his accomplishments is Mary Alice Shaughnessy, who wrote the acclaimed Les Paul: An American Original. In the process of writing this biography, she interviewed more than 100 people, including musicians, family, friends and industry insiders. In addition to explaining Mary Ford's role in Les Paul's success, Shaughnessy takes us inside the New Jersey home the couple shared when they were married.

You'll hear from musicians too: Greg Martin, who is renowned for his righteous Gibson Les Paul tones, tells us of his life-long obsession with Les Paul guitars and how he acquired his 1958 sunburst — the holy grail of all Les Paul models.

And the amazing fingerpicker Tommy Emmanuel recalls how as a kid in Australia, he was affected by Les Paul's music, and describes what it was like, years later, to share the stage with Les Paul at Carnegie Hall.

It's quite a program, so join us for an inspiring mix of conversation, music and memories.