Les Paul tributes flood in

TRIBUTES have been pouring in for Les Paul who died last week aged 94.

U2, Bon Jovi, Slash, ZZ Top and Joan Jett have all paid their respect to the guitar pioneer who passed away on Thursday after battling pneumonia.

Former Guns N' Roses star Slash said he "was an exceptionally brilliant man, musician, inventor, mentor and friend" while Bon Jovi star Richie Sambora said every musician owed him a great debt.

He said: "All of us have to thank him for giving us a job, man. Because, let's face it, without the electric guitar and multi-track recording, where would musicians be?

"Everybody should give a big thanks to Les for that, for sure."

U2 guitarist The Edge described him as a "legend of the guitar and a true renaissance man", while Joan Jett said he was a "genius inventor, musical innovator, and a wonderful person".

Paul is credited with developing one of the first solid-body electric guitars, which went on sale in 1952 and contributed to the birth of rock.

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons said he was an "innovator, a groundbreaker, a risk taker, a mentor and a friend".