Sam Llanas Honors Les Paul in Music Video Tribute

To commemorate the opening of the Les Paul: The Wizard of Waukesha exhibit, the Waukesha County Museum produced a video featuring Sam Llanas, along with images of Les and his guitars, and the hometown they proudly share. 

Les Paul: The Wizard of Waukesha opens to the public on Sunday, June 9 at the Waukesha County Museum. 

Llanas is co-founder of the rock band The BoDeans, and is currently touring in support of his second solo album 4 a.m. (The Way Home). He allowed the museum to use the song "The Way Home" as a tribute to Les in the music video. This video can be viewed at www.lespaulexperience.org.

In the video, Llanas strums Les Paul's first professional Gibson L-5 guitarthat Les bought at the Gibson factory in 1933. The museum recently acquired this priceless guitar and will showcase it - along with many other guitars and rare personal artifacts - in the new exhibit.

Parts of the video were filmed in Waukesha's famed Club 400, a tavern once owned by Les' family and the location of Les and Mary Ford's first live performance. Other locations featured in the video include Cutler Park, downtown Main Street, and Les Paul's burial site at Prairie Home Cemetery.  

"It's always been an honor to say that Les Paul and I come from the same hometown," Llanas says. "Since the museum is bringing Les' personalitems back to Waukesha and giving them a permanent place for the public to view, I'm honored my song will be used to support their mission."

A private VIP opening will be held on Saturday, June, 8. For more information or to order tickets, please call (262) 521-2859 or visit www.lespaulexperience.org or www.waukeshacountymuseum.org