Les Paul & Mary Ford

The 1950s brought enormous popularity to the husband-and-wife duo Les Paul & Mary Ford, whose appeal rested equally on their musical skill and the innovative recording methods Paul developed. Each arrived as a seasoned industry professional before forming both a romantic and professional partnership. One of the 20th century’s major figures in musical advancement, Les Paul created multi-track recording, studio practices such as “close miking,” and, most notably, one of the first solid-body electric guitars. Born Iris Summers, Mary Ford had worked as a country singer and guitarist alongside Gene Autry and Jimmy Wakely, performed as a member of the Sunshine Girls trio, and appeared briefly in the film I'm from Arkansas. Gene Autry arranged their introduction in 1946, after which their immediate rapport prompted them to begin performing together without delay. To simplify their billing, Paul selected “Mary Ford” from a telephone directory so the name would remain nearly as brief as his own. Married in 1949, they launched The Les Paul Show that same year, reaching a national audience on NBC. Paul’s technical ingenuity and their coast-to-coast radio platform quickly elevated them on the charts. Already responsible for earlier instrumental pop successes through multi-track methods, he now directed those techniques toward Mary’s voice in his most significant experiments. He first produced a close-miking effect by situating the microphone within six inches of her mouth, generating a warm, intimate tone. By overdubbing her performance across multiple tape tracks, he created the impression of flawless self-harmonizing that conveyed immediate emotional connection. The result permanently altered the sound of pop music. From that period through 1954, Les Paul & Mary Ford placed 16 records in the Top Ten, five of them arriving inside nine months: “Tennessee Waltz,” “Mockin' Bird Hill,” “How High the Moon” (number one for nine weeks), “The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise,” and “Whispering.” Between August 1952 and March 1953 they added five more Top Ten hits: “My Baby's Coming Home,” “Lady of Spain,” “Bye Bye Blues,” “I'm Sitting on Top of the World,” and “Vaya con Dios” (number one for 11 weeks). As other artists and producers adopted Paul’s studio techniques, the duo’s chart presence declined. Mary grew weary of the music business’s relentless schedule and touring, while Les preferred continuous work, and the resulting distance produced a bitter 1964 divorce that ended their professional collaboration. Mary Ford died in 1977 at age 53 from complications of diabetes. Les Paul & Mary Ford were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978. Les Paul received numerous awards, including two Grammys in 2006 at age 90 for the album American Made World Played by Les Paul & Friends. Despite arthritis, he continues to perform weekly at the Iridium club in New York.