Crowdfunder launched to bring Rory Gallagher’s iconic ’61 Strat back to Cork: “We feel tied to him and the guitar is a symbol of what he represents for us”
A crowdfunder has been launched in response to Rory Gallagher’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster being put up for auction, with hopes to bring the guitar back to its original seller’s family and be displayed in a museum.
Michael Crowley first sold the guitar to Gallagher for £100 in 1963. His daughter, Sheena Crowley, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to buy the Strat and bring it back to Cork, Ireland.
READ MORE: Guitar Legends: Rory Gallagher – the self-styled ‘working guitarist’ who was touched by genius
It was announced that the guitar would head to auction last week. It’s due to be sold via Bonhams in London on 17 October as part of “The Rory Gallagher Collection”, which will also see the sale of other Gallagher-owned gear, including more guitars, amps and accessories. The Strat is the highlight of the collection, and is expected to fetch between £700,000 and £1,000,000.
At the time of writing, €19,170 has been raised of Crowley’s €1,000,000 target. On her GoFundMe page she states, “This guitar means so much to us in Cork, and we need to become the custodians of that magical guitar. Rory has been the idol and inspiration to so many musicians in Ireland for half a century. We feel tied to him and the guitar is a symbol of what he represents for us.
“Once the news of the auction was released I would say everyone in Cork and Ireland gasped with shock and surprise, but really Rory’s brother Dónal has presented us with a fantastic opportunity by making the Strat and Rory’s instrument collection available to us.”
Crowley says the overall aim of bringing the guitar to Cork is to set up a music museum “incorporating traditional and modern music, showcasing the marching bands, Céilí bands, showbands, rock bands, punk bands and so on”.
She later adds, “Rory was someone who pushed the boundaries even at a time when rock ‘n’ roll was considered to be the devil’s music! He gigged in places that were being bombed. He dedicated his entire life to it. We must do this for him because we got so much from him, but we must also do it for our heritage.”
To find out more and donate, head to Sheena Crowley’s GoFundMe. For more information on the collection of gear heading to auction, visit Bonhams.
The post Crowdfunder launched to bring Rory Gallagher’s iconic ’61 Strat back to Cork: “We feel tied to him and the guitar is a symbol of what he represents for us” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
