LeftyBassist.com

Tremendous loss to music and to the whole world.
He had a great life, a pioneer who kept playing right to the end.

A sad day indeed. R.I.P.
Funny thing about his passing is that every one I know who doesn't play an instrument went out of their way to inform me of his passing. Shows you what kind of impact he had on the world.

He was such a creative visionary. Not only a guitar virtuoso, but the first person to think of the recording studio itself as an instrument. He was recording stuff in his living room that didn't go mainstream until people like The Beatles and Beach Boys did it 15 years later.

+1 to all the above. Just got back to the UK from holiday (ironically enough, in the USA) and got the news when I got home.

Musicians get called great after achieving a tenth of what he achieved.

What a sad day for us all.

I was fortunate enough to see him play live at Iridium in NYC a few years ago. I think he was ONLY about 90 then. In addition to having that signature tone of his, he told so many entertaining stories, particularly about the Les Paul guitar he was playing and it's construction. I don't remember all the details, but it was an original prototype Les Paul guitar and boy did it sound amazing. Afterwords he met and greeted everyone in the club. He was a true genius and a very warm approachable man.

Yes, I also saw him at Iridium in 1997. He stayed around until about 5AM talking to people and signing autographs. I remember some die-hard British fans - who came to NYC specifically to see him - were there talking about his 1930s records as Rhubarb Red and Les remembered it all - recording, touring etc. Amazing guy!