“I think it’s a national treasure that should stay here. I threw in a couple grand into the GoFundMe anonymously”: Joe Bonamassa throws his support behind the movement to keep Rory Gallagher's famous Strat in Ireland
Bonamassa had been rumored to be one of the guitar collectors interested in bidding on the highly coveted instrument. However, he is now setting the record straight by backing the Irish campaign.
When news of the Stratocaster’s sale broke, Bonamassa says he received over 150 texts asking if he planned to bid on the guitar. He has since publicly ruled himself out, stating that the guitar “should never leave Ireland.”
He tells HotPress, “I don’t want to own it because it’s not my story, it’s part of Rory’s story, it’s part of Ireland’s story. I think it’s a national treasure that should stay here. I threw in a couple grand [into the GoFundMe] anonymously.”
Joe Bonamassa performing a blistering version of Rory Gallagher's iconic 'Cradle Rock' - YouTube
Bonamassa will continue to honor Gallagher's legacy with two shows in the Irish legend's hometown of Cork next summer. The concerts, scheduled for July 1 and 2 as part of the annual Live At The Marquee series, will commemorate the 30th anniversary of Gallagher’s death.
The guitar is set to be auctioned at Bonhams in London on October 17. Donal Gallagher, Rory's brother and the steward of his guitar collection, recently revealed the reasons why he decided to put the guitar up for auction in the first place.
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Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.