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Rock music author Jim O'Donnell has finished his latest manuscript, a
book about the late legendary guitarist-inventor Les Paul. The book is an authentic portrait of Les Paul the person–a person who turns out to be even bigger than the guitarist, the genius, or the guitar. Also included are four helpful appendices: a Les Paul discography, filmography,
webography and bibliography. When O'Donnell wrote a profile
of Les Paul, the guitar great enjoyed the piece so much he had it hanging directly behind him onstage for two years. O'Donnell is working on a Led Zeppelin book and
on an anthology that collects many of his rock music articles and interviews.
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QUEEN GUITAR
MEETS KING GUITAR: Queen's Brian May, left, jams with Les Paul, right, inventor of the electric guitar, at Fat Tuesday's,
a jazz club in New York City.
Les Paul frequently welcomed fellow musicians, of all styles, to his stage. Besides
Brian May, other guests have included Jimmy Page, Steve Miller, Eddie Van Halen and Keith Richards. (Photo Copyright © 1992 by Jim O'Donnell)
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ARCHIVE SPECIAL: THE FREDDIE MERCURY TRIBUTE CONCERT, 1992 After the concert, I had to pick my way through a courtly
gathering of rock royalty backstage. Looking for someone who understands rock 'n' roll lead-singing and losing a bandmate
in equal measure, I asked Roger Daltrey about the lead-singer who was missing. In a voice thick with emotion, Daltrey told me: "When we lost Freddie,
we not only lost a great personality, a man with a great sense of humor, a true showman, but we lost the best virtuoso rock
'n' roll singer of all time."
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THE DAY JOHN MET PAUL
PENGUIN BOOKS , 2006 "Jim O'Donnell has a reporter's curiosity, a rock 'n' roller's heart, and he writes like
a lyrical Irish poet." —Michael Lydon, a Founding Editor of ROLLING STONE magazine
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