Auction hots up for guitar signed by world famous artists

A LOCAL performer has put a guitar signed by famous musicians up for auction in a bid to raise funds for the Royal United Hospital’s Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit.

Leander Morales has managed to get a guitar signed by dozens of world renowned artists and celebrities including Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Brian May of Queen, Peter Gabriel of Genesis, Sir Terry Wogan, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, actor Nicholas Cage, Paloma Faith, Kate Nash and many more. In all, over 45 celebrity signatures have been acquired.

The acoustic guitar is being  sold as part of a two-tier auction which saw a silent auction start earlier this month. The highest bid received by 30th November will set the reserve price. The current highest bid is £1,250 with bids being accepted via email and Facebook until the end of the month.

The winning silent auction bid will then be used as the reserve price for the guitar on eBay which will run over 10 days starting on Monday 1st December.

Leander first acquired the guitar in 2009 when it was donated by Sounds of Frome. This was part of a fundraising challenge that eventually saw Leander and his friends raise £6,500 for the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit in Bath.

Leander said, “I am really pleased with the current bid – it is an incredible amount and the support has been amazing.

“Of course we want to raise more, so keep bidding and look out on Facebook for the current highest bids as they come in.

“Back in 2009 when we got this guitar we had already auctioned off a guitar signed by Status Quo and I had heard that fellow musicians and friends, Cara Dillon and Sam Lakeman, were recording at Abbey Road Studios with other well-known artists.

“I also had a friend working as an official photographer for that session, Bob Condrey. He assisted Cara and Sam with collecting some very well-known people to sign the guitar including Paloma Faith, Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) and several others. The acoustic guitar is now coming up to its fifth birthday, having been signed by some of the greatest artists ever to take to the stage.”

Details for the launch of the auction were announced at Cara Dillon’s live show in Frome earlier this month. Cara Dillon and Sam Lakeman had twins cared for by the NICU in Bath and were responsible for gathering many of the names on the guitar.

Leander added, “It seemed appropriate to launch details of the auction with Cara and Sam, as they have also been central to the campaign to raise funds for the unit.”

• The full list of signatures includes Brian May (Queen), Peter Gabriel (Genesis), Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Jeff Beck, Ed Sheeran, Frank Turner, Chris Martin (Coldplay), Jonny Buckland (Coldplay), Guy Berryman (Coldplay), Will Chapman (Coldplay), Ben Folds Five, Gabrielle Aplin, Duane Eddy, Hayley Westernra, Cara Dillon, Paloma Faith, Ralph Steadman (Fully blotted), Paris (Graffiti Artist), Kate Nash, Sadé, Sam Lakeman, Seth Lakeman, Frank Turner, Gary Stringer (Reef), Jack Bessant (Reef), Dominic Greensmith (Reef), Kenwyn House (Reef), Luke Concannon (Nizlopi), Benji Kirkpatrick (Bellowhead), Oli Knights (Turin Brakes), Gale Paridjandian (Turin Brakes), Nicholas Cage, Adam Ant, Finbar Furey (The Fureys), Clare Teal, Sharon Corr (The Corrs), Ginger Baker, Pee Wee Ellis, Wild Willy Barrett, John Otway, Jason Rebello, Red Hurley, Bronagh Gallagher (The Commitments), Chris Rea, Sir Terry Wogan Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones) and Julian Bahula.

Visit www.gm3music.co.uk/guitar-for-unborn for more information.