BY David Hinckley - Monday, August 17th 2009, 4:00 AM

Electric guitar hero Les Paul dies at 94

"I loved Les Paul's music," says Jonathan Schwartz, daily host on Sirius XM and weekend host on WNYC (93.9 FM).

"When I was young, his music dribbled out on 78 rpm records," says Schwartz. "And I would buy them, at Paul Helfer's music shop on 86th St. between Lexington and Third.

"I still own those 78 rpm records today."

But Schwartz's regard for Les Paul, who died Thursday at the age of 94, runs even deeper than that. Quite simply, says Schwartz, "Les Paul began this whole affair."

Aside from his wonderful music, Les Paul may be best known for two of his many technological achievements: developing multitrack recordings and pioneering - along with his fellow genius and sometime-rival Leo Fender - the solid-body electric guitar

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