Musicians worldwide are paying tribute to Les Paul, the music icon whose solid-body electric guitar paved the way for rock 'n' roll. Paul died last Thursday at age 94.

Paul, a guitar virtuoso, performed with some of early pop's biggest names and produced a slew of hits, many with wife Mary Ford. But it was his inventive streak that made him universally revered by guitar gods as their original ancestor and earned his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the most important forces in popular music.

"He actually taught himself to play guitar in order to demonstrate his electronic theories," said Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. "All of us owe an unimaginable debt to his work and his talent."

Paul, who died last Thursday in White Plains, New York, of complications from pneumonia, was a tireless tinkerer, whose quest for a particular sound led him to create the first solid-body electric guitar. His invention became the standard instrument for legends like Pete Townshend and Jimmy Page.

"The name Les Paul is iconic and is known by aspiring and virtuoso guitar players worldwide," Kiss front man Paul Stanley said. "That guitar is the cornerstone of a lot of great music that has been made in the last 50 years."

hallmark contribution

Paul also developed technology that would become hallmarks of rock and pop recordings, from multi-track recording that allowed for multiple layers of 'overdubs' to guitar reverb and other sound effects.

"He was a futurist, and unlike some futurists who write about it and predict things, he was a guy who actually did things," said Henry Juskiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar, which mass produced Paul's original invention.

Private services are being planned for New York and Waukesha, Wisconsin, Paul's hometown, according to an obituary posted by the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, where, until recently, Paul had played every week. Public memorial tributes also are being planned.