Historical Background

Les Paul was born Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009) outside Milwaukee, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to George and Evelyn Polsfus. His family was of German ancestry and Paul's mother was related to the founders of Milwaukee's Valentin Blatz Brewing Company and the makers of the Stutz Bearcat automobile; his parents divorced when he was a child. The Prussian family name was first simplified by his mother to Polfuss before he took his stage name of Les Paul. He also used the nicknames Red Hot Red and Rhubarb Red.