A closet clean-out at New Country 96.3 led to a surprising discovery: a guitar signed by country legends, including a very young Taylor Swift.
DALLAS — Nearly 20 years ago, a young songwriter known for “Teardrops on My Guitar” stopped by a North Texas radio station and signed a guitar alongside other country legends. The guitar went to the back of a closet, and now, several sold-out world tours later, the guitar is up for auction.
During a closet cleanout at Cumulus Media’s New Country 96.3, staff found an acoustic guitar covered in both signatures and dust, Cumulus said in a press release. Among the signatures are country legends: Dierks Bentley, Martina McBride, Eli Young Band, Kevin Fowler, Gary Allan, Randy Rogers, Frank Day, Buddy Jewel, and more.
Jessica MacKenzie-Williams, promotions director at the station, saw the faded signatures and was about to use the guitar for an upcoming event.
“But, then after closer examination, I recognized one of the signatures… Taylor’s. I couldn’t believe it!” said MacKenzie-Williams.
Next to the signature, 18-year-old Taylor wrote the year 2008, the same year “Fearless,” her second album, was released.
When “Hawkeye in the Morning” hosts Michelle and Hawkeye heard about the find, and verified many of the signatures on the guitar, they named it “The Lost Taylor Swift Guitar, officials said.
The pair decided to auction the guitar to raise money for Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, the release states.
“This guitar has already had an incredible journey,” Hawkeye said. “Now it gets to make a difference for kids who need it most.”
The online auction opened Monday, April 13, and will run through 9 a.m. Friday, April 17, according to the release. The minimum bid for the guitar is already up to over $5,000 as of Tuesday morning.