NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A legendary guitar brand is doing something they've never done before. They are launching a worldwide search for a guitar seen in one of the most famous movies ever made. What movie? We've got two words for you. Great. Scott.
For a story about a search, let me take you back to 1985. Burgers were under a dollar, a VCR could set you back about $350, and something hit big. The film Back To The Future's one of the pop culture moments of the 80s. People loved it. That's what leads us to Gibson Headquarters and to the office of director of brand experience Mark Agnesi.
Mark puts it like this. There are a lot of people who got inspired to go into music by that first appearance of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. What set Mark on the path to music was that scene of Back To The Future with Marty playing Johnny B. Goode at the Enchantment Under The Sea Dance.
"Blues riff in B. Watch me for the changes. Try and to keep up!" Mark said, quoting the movie.
Mark wants to know; where is the guitar from that scene? He's going all out to find it.
Gibson Films has been collecting interviews for a documentary about the search for the guitar. It's called Lost To The Future. Interviews so far include stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Lea Thompson.
Where do you even start with a search? Here's what Mark knows.
"We know it was rented to the movie by Norman Harris of Norman's Rare Guitars," Mark said. "According to Norm, it was brought back to him, and it was sold to a friend. That's where we kinda lose it. What happened to this guitar since 1985, 1986?"
What else?
"We know the guitar is probably a late 1960 or early 1961 Gibson ES-345, cherry red," Mark continued. "We do not know the serial number. The guitar has an anomaly. For whatever reason, the guitar that came from Norman's Rare Guitars to be in the movie has this 12th fret marker that is a solid parallelogram. That shouldn't be there. That's kinda the smoking gun."
Gibson has just launched the search for the guitar.
What's interesting is Mark was once the general manager of that Norman's Rare Guitars. He's wanted to find this guitar since 2009. Beginning the search has led to some pretty great things.
"Getting to spend time with Michael J. Fox has been one of the absolute highlights of my career," Mark said. "What an incredible human being that guy is. The scene is so iconic. We have to tell how important it was to all of us kids who started playing guitar because of it."
If you know anything about where that guitar is today, you can leave tips here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
