Les Paul Lounge

The Les Paul Lounge is a private room at the rear of the Gibson Room. This room was designed to pay homage to the  “Wizard of Waukesha”, Les Paul, 1915-2009.

Les Paul was born Lester William Polfuss on June 9, 1915, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Paul began playing his first instrument, the harmonica, as a student at Barstow School after seeing a ditch digger playing one on the street. He organized his first orchestra, the Junior Optimist “Red Hot Ragtime Band,” in high school, and “Red Hot Red,” as Paul became known, played at dances, beach parties and lake resorts. In high school Paul’s mother encouraged him to learn another instrument, and after a fling with the banjo, Paul took up the guitar.

The painting above was designed and created by Robert Hurst. It portrays “Red Hot Red” in a sailor suit at the age of 13, playing his first guitar, a Sears Troubadore and a harmonica. The painting also depicts Les with his wife Mary Ford and of course, the historic Gibson Les Paul Guitar.