Photo by Josh Marx
The weekend of May 1 will not only see the 2nd Annual Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit & Auction, to be held at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, but it will see the unveiling and auctioning of a special one-of-a-kind Chris Kyle commemorative Gibson guitar. The guitar, a Les Paul Standard Special, the brainchild of country star Tim Montana, boasts the Kyle benefit logo in viper red, white and blue. It is expected to be the centerpiece of the auction, and 100% of all proceeds will be donated to the Guardian for Heroes Foundation—founded by Kyle—the subject of the Oscar-nominated film American Sniper, before his death. The Foundation provides free, in-house fitness equipment, facilitation of donated health club memberships, individualized programs, personal training and life coaching to in-need Veterans with disabilities and those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress from combat deployment. For those not in attendance at the event, bids will be taken at charitybuzz.com/chriskyleguitar starting April 2 at 9AM EDT. Bidding closes at 3PM EDT on May 5.
“I’ve met so many men and women from our military over the years—friends, friends of friends and fans after shows, and recently lost a very close friend to PTSD,” said Montana. “I’ve always marveled at their stories, their commitment to our country and their unrelenting selflessness. At the end of the day, I wanted to do something different, beyond just performing at the benefit. So I contacted my friends at Gibson with the idea to create this guitar, and they could not have been more committed to the project. The guitar is stunning—first-rate craftsmanship.”
“It’s our privilege to support the men and women who have served our country and the Guardian for Heroes Foundation. We are an American company and support those who defend us,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Brands.
The guitar was hand crafted at Gibson Guitars in Nashville, TN. It took nearly two months to complete during which time Montana worked hand-in-hand with the Gibson team. It contains a ’57 classic pickup, satin nickel hardware, rosewood fingerboard with white binding, a mahogany neck and back with a maple top.
Tim Montana and the Shrednecks have had supporting slots on tour with ZZ Top, Brantley Gilbert and Kid Rock. They wrote the anthem for the Red Sox’s historic 2013 World Series run with Billy F. Gibbons and Marshall Altman and recently released their single “Rust and Red.”
For Tim Montana and the Shrednecks news and information, visit timmontana.com.
