|  
November 2011
Auctioned Fret-King guitar signed
by the stars raises over £1000 for charity
A Fret-King Esprit guitar signed by a host of stars in aid of Cuban
music school children has raised more than £1000 at auction.
The guitar, donated by Fret-King brand owner John Hornby Skewes &
Co. Ltd., was signed by the likes of Billy Bragg, Phill Jupitus, Amy
MacDonald, Catherine Tate and Ellie Goulding during a tribute concert
to the late singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl in October 2010. During
the auction, the Esprit received loads of attention and plenty of bids
as it rocketed past its reserve price to reach an astonishing £1001.
The guitar's lucky winner was music fan John Lodge from
Maldon in Essex. He said: “What a lovely bit of kit this Fret-King
Esprit is! I will support anyone who gives their time to introduce kids
to the rewarding world of music and I just love the Buena Vista Social
Club. One day, these kids will be producing great sounds long after
I'm gone."
John's generosity will ensure that a number of Cuban children will be
able to pursue their dreams of making music.
The auction was organised by Kirsty MacColl's band member, Gary Sanford,
and his wife Jen. Gary said: “Support from friends and fellow
musicians all over the world has been brilliant. The artists who performed
at the Kirsty Tribute gig and who signed the guitar, especially Billy,
Amy, Kim Wilde and Andrea Corr, plus active Twitter users – like
Reece Shearsmith, Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross – really got behind
it and that was overwhelming. A huge sincere thank you to one and all.”
Gary's recent trips to Cuba have given him a desire to continue their
fundraising efforts. He said: “Having just returned from Cuba,
the hardships that the music students and musicians have can't be overlooked,
but the music is just phenomenal despite it all. I was honoured to give
the first ever rock & blues guitar clinic and distributed a much
needed supply of guitar and violin strings directly to the students.
It was quite a humbling and truly inspiring experience.”
“We then had a blues jam with students and music professors which
is something I'll never forget and hope to do again. There's no doubt
that the incredible music of Cuba will greatly benefit from our continued
support like the auction and the winning bidder will have something
truly special."
|
