Friday July 18th, 2003

Les Paul thanks "all the players" at Gibson Custom's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Guitar legend Les Paul kicked off Gibson Custom's 10th anniversary VIP party last night with a "thank you" to everyone who makes and plays Gibson Les Pauls.

"I'm very proud of what they've done with the Les Paul guitar," he told a crowd that jammed the front parking lot at Gibson's Custom, Art & Historic division. "I want to thank all the fellas who work here at the plant. And I want to thank the players, because if it wasn't for all those guys out there playing the thing, we'd all be hungrier than hell."

The annual Custom Shop party is always one of the most coveted tickets at the summer NAMM trade show (July 18-20), and this year's event featured performances by Ted Nugent, Lee Roy Parnell, Kenny Olson, Johnny A and the Porch Ghouls, plus cars and guitars from the traveling Chevy Rock 'n' Roll Tour.

Gibson president Dave Berryman and Les Paul with the
Custom Shop 10th Anniversary Les Paul guitar

In introducing Les Paul, Gibson president Dave Berryman noted, "This is a great event in the history of the guitar and the history of rock 'n' roll." Although Les' appearance had been unannounced, when Berryman said "The father of the electric guitar, the man who started it all," the crowd knew who the special guest was.

Les, who recently celebrated his 88th birthday, made a rare trip to Nashville to attend the Custom Shop festivities and to perform on Muriel Anderson's All-Star Guitar Night, presented by Gibson and Baldwin. He joked about his stay-at-home tendencies. "It's not often that I get down here," he said. "It's not often that I go anywhere."

Rick Gembar, Gibson Custom general manager, showed Les the new highly ornamented Custom Shop 10th Anniversary Les Paul guitar. "I sent one to Les for the mayor of New York, and I think Les kept it," Gembar told the crowd. "He said it as beautiful he wasn't going to give it to Michael Bloomberg."

Gibson Custom general manager, Rick Gembar,
Custom's Historic Supervisor, Jim Hutchins and Les

Another guitar legend, Duane Eddy, was on hand to pay tribute to Les as well as to the Custom Shop. "I just came down here for the food, like musicians do," Eddy said. "And then I get to hang out with my hero - Les Paul."

The crowd of guitar dealers, press, musicians and guitar industry figures then moved through the Custom Shop facility, where the entire line was on display - including sneak peaks at new models. And on to the back parking lot for dinner and entertainment.

Kenny Olson with Gibson SSR Guitar and Truck

The Pourch Gouls, rockin with their Voo Doos

Les Paul and Johnny A.

Johnny A. playing his new Custom Shop Signature guitar

Lee Roy Parnell and Rick Gembar

Gibson chairman and CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz jams with Lee Roy

Ted Nugent with his vintage Byrdland

The Nuge salutes his 'American Cowboys' with his Stars and Stripes Les Paul

Ted Nugent with his Gibson Custom 'Great White Buffalo' Byrdland