Keith Richards: Remembers Les Paul Before The Les Paul

Keith Richards is one of a number of artists paying tribute to the late Les Paul on Thank You Les. Put together by Lou Pallo, guitarist in the Les Paul Trio, the album also features contributions from Billy Gibbons, Slash, Eddie Brigati from The Rascals, and Les's godson, Steve Miller, who also wrote the album's liner notes.

Richards plays on "It's Been a Long, Long Time," a 1941 hit for Paul and Bing Crosby. For Richards, he discovered Paul through his mother before ever playing one his signature Gibson guitars. "He was a catalyst for all us guitar players," says Richards, but adds that in England, Paul was more known for his music rather than inventing the electric guitar or numerous recording techniques.

Keith Richards says in England in the 1950s, Les Paul was more known for his music rather than his musical inventions: "I would say generally speaking, in England he was known more for his music, the hits that he had with Mary Ford, with his old lady, you know, a bit of a guitar wizard. But nobody really knew that Les Paul invented like rooms that we're in now, recording studios."