Bon Jovi star Richie Sambora has paid tribute to late guitar great Les Paul, insisting every musician owes him a great debt. Sambora became the legend's friend and has been left stunned by his death from pneumonia on Thursday.

And he is calling on all modern rockers to take a moment to consider what Paul created for them through his musical innovations.

He says, "All of us have to thank him for giving us a job, man. Because, let's face it, without the electric guitar and multi-track recording, where would musicians be? Everybody should give a big thanks to Les for that, for sure."

Sambora admits he was so impressed the first time he heard Paul, he likens the experience to that of a rock fan checking out Jimi Hendrix.

He adds, "He used echoes and sound effects back in the '40s. He was the Jimi Hendrix of his day. The first time you saw Jimi, you'd be like, 'What the hell was that?!' And the same thing with Les. The first time you heard Les play, you're like, 'That's from another planet.' He was way ahead of his time."

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)