“You’ve made me cry” guitarist who had treasured gear stolen on way to gig has over $13,000 raised to replace “beloved” guitar
Over $13,000 has been raised to support musician Tom A Smith after his “beloved guitar” was stolen during a band trip to London.
Smith, a 20 year-old singer from Sunderland, was traveling to London with his band for a radio interview and performance when their van was burglarised at the London Gateway service station. The break-in resulted in the loss of all their musical equipment, laptops, and even medication belonging to one of the band members.
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Tom reveals that his grandfather had given him the guitar around seven years ago and describes it as his “prized possession” and “the greatest thing I own”.
“In fact, I only started bringing it to shows recently because I was worried it might get stolen,” he tells the BBC.
In a heartfelt message shared on social media, Smith’s father, Andy, expressed his gratitude to those who contributed to the fundraising efforts: “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts – you’ve made me cry.”
He notes on the Gofundme page that “Tom’s guitar was a beauty, gifted by his grandad and followed him through his whole career. He mainly plays electric these days but he writes every song on it and even used it to play in the centre circle at his beloved football club’s stadium in front of 40k fans.”
He also highlights the loss of another treasured instrument: a bass guitar given to band member Katie for her 21st birthday: “Katie’s bass guitar was a carefully chosen 21st birthday present from her dad. It really meant the world to her and is irreplaceable.”
Despite the setback, the band’s scheduled interview on Radio X went ahead, though they were unable to perform live as planned. Smith’s post on Facebook received a wave of sympathetic responses, including one that tagged music legend Elton John for help.
As Andy explains, the purpose of the funding “isn’t for a like for like replacement”, but to provide crucial support for the band so they can continue performing.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
