Gibson X-press June 17, 2004

Win an Epi on your cell phone with Summer Movie Text

Enter to win a free Epiphone SG Special when you sign up for Summer Movie Text. Get the lowdown on the summer's hottest movies by supercool text message. It's totally free!

Win a Gibson signed by the Beatsteaks

MTV Europe is giving away a Gibson Melody Maker signed by Berlin punk-rock band The Beatsteaks, whose new CD Smack Smack is the hottest sound on the continent. Details on Gibsons international websites.

Photo © API

The coolest trophy in pro sports

Jason Leffler picked up his first win of the Busch Series season along with a custom Gibson guitar at the Federated Auto Parts 300 at the Nashville Superspeedway (June 12). Designed by famed NASCAR artist Sam Bass, the trophy guitar is not only the coolest trophy in pro sports, its the most fun and the most functional (try drinking out of the Stanley Cup or throwing a pass with the Lombardi Trophy). For more

Mavericks rounded up after 5-year hiatus

The Mavericks stopped by the Gibson showroom in Austin to check out a Les Paul Standard and a J-45 to use in a live show in Austin on July 2. The show, held at Stubbs BBQ, was recorded for a live DVD to be released later this year. The foursome - frontman Raul Malo, bassist Robert Reynolds, drummer Paul Deakin and new guitarist Eddie Perez - is back from a five-year hiatus with what critics are calling "the coolest of '90s Nashville." The Mavericks have finished their self-titled release on Sanctuary Records, and have kicked off a summer tour that is scheduled to wrap up in mid-July.

The Golden God award was presented to Ville Vale (of HIM)

Hammering metal with golden gods

Gibson Europe celebrated the achievements of the Darkness, Metallica, Nikki Sixx and other hammering Gibson acts at the 2nd Annual Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards at Oceans in Hackney, England last week (June 7). The Darkness (recent visitors to Gibsons Custom Shop) won best video honors for Love Is Only a Feeling. Metallica was named best international act. And Nikki won the Spirit of the Hammer award. In a live performance highlight, Silvertide rocked the stage and demonstrated the metal hammering capability of a Gibson Firebird V. Gibson also sponsored the award for the 2004 Best Guitarist, which was presented to Dimebag Darrell.

Kris Kristofferson on a
J-45 Custom Rosewood

Congratulation to Abby Cardwell,
winner of a new Les Paul

Gibson spreads Aloha at Kauai Fest

The 2004 Kauai Music Festival, held at the Hyatt Regency Kauai from May 26-29, hosted 200 songwriters who gathered from across the globe to take part in seminars, panel discussions and one-on-one counseling sessions in order to learn and improve their music. Gibson was ever-present with the donation of one guitar for the "demo derby" and one guitar presented as a special award, which was determined by the festival teaching staff. Gibson also provided three guitars as prizes for the songwriting competition. Contenders performed their song to a crowd of songwriters, producers, music attorneys and music industry professionals. The first place winner, Australia's Abby Cardwell, won a Gibson Les Paul. The Festival also featured some of America's best songwriters, including Kris Kristofferson (shown playing a J-45 Custom Rosewood from Gibson Montana), Jeff Cohen, Brad Arnold (lead singer of 3 Doors Down), and Emmy Award winner Hugh Prestwood.

Now that's a big check

Los Angeles jazz bassist Dominic Thiroux, left, needed some help with his 2004 Gibson National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Award. The scholarship award was presented June 9 in a ceremony at the Gibson/Baldwin Showroom in Beverly Hills. Helping Thiroux are (from left) NFAA board chairman Jerome J. Parks, NFAA trustee Ginny Mancini and Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. Gibson is a major sponsor of the National Foundation of Advancement in the Arts.

Ray Benson finds an Epi that kicks

Ray Benson, leader of Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, stopped by the Gibson/Baldwin showroom in Austin to pick up an Epiphone DR-500P and was absolutely blown away. "This guitar kicks my (model name withheld)'s ass," he said, and he wants to do whatever he can to help promote it. Benson's 2003 album, Beyond Time, was the first-ever solo release for the "post modern king of Western swing" and has earned him two Grammy nominations.

Don't miss Alondra's new video

Actually, it would be hard to turn on the Latin music channels and not see Alondra. Her new video "Mirame a los Ojos" is on heavy rotation - every 16th video - on MTV Latino and on Mas Musica TV. Our favorite view of her is, of course, with her yellow metallic Les Paul Studio.

Jessica takes our guitar away

Gibson's Ric Olsen has a former life as the original guitarist with the group Berlin, whose 1986 hit "Take My Breath Away" happens to be Jessica Simpson's current smash. So when Jessica's tour stopped in Nashville, where Gibson is headquartered, Ric presented her with a new 10th Anniversary Les Paul Supreme SG. The guitar is one of four in a limited edition series commemorating the 10th anniversary of Gibson's Custom Shop.

How cool can B.B. King get?

Stockholm Lifetime Gibson artist B.B. King and influential Romanian composer Gyrgy Ligeti were awarded the Polar Music Prize on May 24. The King of Sweden presided over the nationally televised ceremony, which took place for the first time in the Stockholm Concert Hall, site of the Nobel Prize ceremony. Founded in 1989 by Stig Andersen (manager of pop group ABBA), the Polar Music Award is a cash prize of 1 million Swedish Crowns (approximately US $130,000). Previous winners include Bob Dylan, Elton John, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Isaac Stern, Robert Moog and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Speaking of Gibson Europe

B.B., Heiderossjes, Montreux, Solidays, Beatsteaks

Trouvez les dernires infos en direct et en franais en visitant le www.gibson.com/fr.

Visita i siti internazionali di gibson.com, per le ultime novit in italiano collgati a www.gibson.com/it.

Visite los sitios internacionales de gibson.com para el acceso a noticias y acontecimientos ms recientes. Para ms informacion visite nuestro portal: www.gibson.com/es.

Bezoek Gibson's internationale sites voor het laatste nieuws op www.gibson.com/nl.

Drive I-65 to success in Music City

Gibson and ASCAP, together with Belmont University in Nashville, created a contest, Drive I-65, A Battle of the Bands, for high-school students to compete for an incredible package of music prizes, including four Epiphone guitars. Emily Hammett, Blue Law, Tribe of Eli, September 22nd, and 3 Run Lead were the five finalists selected to battle it out on May 8 at Rocketown in Nashville. 3 Run Lead were named the lucky winners and received the four Epiphones, a $500 gift certificate from Guitar Center, and a consultation package from the Mike Curb School of Entertainment at Belmont University and ASCAP to include one-on-one meetings with industry professionals.