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Slash Receives 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award

Slash has been named the recipient of the 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award. The honor was presented during a private event at The Les Paul Recording Studio at Universal Master Recordings in Hollywood, hosted by the Les Paul Foundation alongside Gibson Gives. Friends, artists and music industry figures gathered to recognize the guitarist's lasting impact on modern music.

The award goes each year to someone who reflects Les Paul's trailblazing approach to innovation, creativity, engineering and music. The trophy given to Slash was carved by hand from genuine acoustic boards that Les Paul himself built and used in his home studio, which means no two awards are alike.

Slash and Les Paul were close friends while the inventor was alive, and they often played together on stage. "Les was so much more than a great guitarist and innovator," Slash said at the event. "He was an actual inventor who changed the instrument itself and completely reimagined how artists could record music. Receiving an award that carries his name and spirit is a tremendous honor."

Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation, also spoke. "Not only does Slash exemplify the creativity and curiosity Les had during his life, but he is also an extraordinary talent," he said. "If Les were still alive today, Slash and he would be jamming onstage together somewhere regularly."

Before the ceremony, a small group of media representatives took part in an advance listening session in the historic studio. They heard four tracks – Good Time Girl, One of Your Kind, Flying Blind and Looking for a Miracle – from the upcoming album by Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, titled FLYING BLIND. The 12-song record arrives on 26 February 2027 through Gibson Records and was mostly recorded live with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette to preserve the group's raw, spontaneous feel. A major tour, the FLYING BLIND WORLD TOUR 2027, will follow across North America, Latin America, the UK and Europe.

Photo: Music-News
Source: Muzland
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