A few years ago, I went up to New York City with my cousin, who wanted to make a pilgrimmage up to the Irridium Club to see him before he died. He not only put on a fine show with his band (which had two other guitarists to cover some of the original recorded effects in occaisional unison passeges), but talked with us afterwards and graciously autographed the pick guard from my cousin's Gibson Les Paul, which he'd brought up in hopes of having Les do so.

The other important Les Paul memory I have is hearing the radio on in my parents room as they got up each morning and hearing Les & Mary doing the Robert Hall clothing store jingle at the same time every weekday morning . Being a kid and not understanding finances and continually hearing them sing "Low overhead, low overhead", I wondered if you had to duck each time you went into the store, as our family never shopped there. We could tell if we were running on time ourselves dressing for school by hearing that and "Northwest Or-i-ent (bong bong,bong!) Air Li-i-i-ines....." every morning.


But the daily morning jingle that Les & Mary sang went something like:

When the values go up up, up
And the prices go down, down, down
Robert Hall this season
Will show you the reason
Low overhead, low overhead.


Anway, thanks for the music, the memories and the innovations. Rest in Peace.


I think I'll give my cousin in Atlanta a call and see if he's heard.....