Some of the World’s Greatest Names in Country Music Join Nashville’s Guitartown Project
Gibson Guitar Presents Second Unveiling in Summer 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE....Nashville, Tennessee…May 24, 2005…Nashville’s Guitartown Project announced a long list of impressive country music celebrities who have joined the public arts project. The project features amazing 10 foot tall fiberglass Gibson guitar sculptures and hand-painted small showcase guitars for charity. Both sets of guitars are exclusively designed and painted by a visual artist and musician and then autographed. Joining the cause is a cast of some of Country Music’s most popular performers including Brooks and Dunn, Amy Grant, Kenny Chesney, Dolly Parton, Sara Evans, Big and Rich, Muzik Mafia, Brad Paisley, Randy Travis, Wynonna Judd, Brenda Lee, Charlie Daniels, Bill Anderson, Deana Carter, Jo Dee Messina, Dierks Bentley, Willie Nelson, Lee Anne Rimes, Lynyrd Skynrd, Tracey Lawrence, Buddy Jewell, Martina McBride, Little Texas, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Michael McDonald, Diamond Rio, Josh Turner, Van Zant, Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers and John Michael Montgomery.
A special celebrity press unveiling at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville will take place on Thursday, July 7th 2005. After the unveiling, each will take their place around the city of Nashville and be on display until the end of the year. The first set of guitar sculptures were launched in April 2005 and can currently be seen around Nashville. Sponsorships are available for the celebrity themed set being unveiled in July. Guitartown sponsors have the opportunity to select locations to showcase these unique pieces of art throughout the year and use them for promotional purposes for an approved amount of time.
At the end of 2005 all sculptures and guitars will be auctioned at a gala auction event in Nashville conducted by Juliens Auctions (www.juliensauctions.com). Juliens Auctions is a worldwide celebrity estate auction house responsible for such high profile events as the auctions of Johnny Cash, Barbara Streisand, Bob Mackie, and many more. The proceeds from sponsorship and the auction will benefit designated Nashville charitable organizations including The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, United Way, The Downtown District and The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. More information on the project can be seen at www.nashvilleguitartown.com.
Gibson Guitar is the presenting sponsor of Nashville’s Guitartown and known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins and banjos. Gibson’s digital guitar represents the biggest advance in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, MI, and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.’s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Baldwin, Hamilton and Wurlitzer. Visit Gibson’s website at www.gibson.com or www.gibson.com/press
CONTACTS:
Caroline Galloway GIBSON 440-338-3469 caroline.galloway@gibson.com
Kim Dettwiller GIBSON 615-330-5656 kim.dettwiller@comcast.net
Jason Padgitt Rogers & Cowan 310-854-8140 jpadgitt@rogersandcowan.com