A rare acoustic guitar signed by Taylor Swift and other country stars early in her career was found in a storage closet at New Country 96.3 during a recent cleanout. This valuable item is now being auctioned to benefit Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.
The instrument, dubbed “The Lost Taylor Swift Guitar,” had sat in storage for nearly two decades. It bears Swift’s autograph reading “Taylor Class of 2008!” along with signatures from Dierks Bentley, Martina McBride, the Eli Young Band, Kevin Fowler, Gary Allan, Randy Rogers, Frank Day, Buddy Jewel, and others.
Jessica MacKenzie-Williams, the station’s promotions director, said she was preparing to reuse the dusty guitar for an upcoming event until she took a closer look.
“I was about to re-use the guitar for an upcoming event because the signatures were faded, and the guitar was dusty,” she said in a statement, per National Today. “But then, after closer examination, I recognized one of the signatures… Taylor’s. I couldn’t believe it!”
Mark “Hawkeye” Louis and Michelle Rodriguez, hosts of the station’s “Hawkeye in the Morning” show, verified the signatures and decided to auction the guitar to support the hospital’s mission of providing top-notch pediatric care regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
“This guitar has already had an incredible journey,” Hawkeye said, per National Today. “Now it gets to make a difference for kids who need it most.”
The online auction opened Monday, April 13, and runs through 9 a.m. Friday, April 17. Bids can be placed on the station’s website.
As of Tuesday morning, the minimum bid had already climbed above $5,000.
The guitar dates to a 2008 visit by an 18-year-old Swift, the same year her second album, “Fearless,” was released. Station officials said the proceeds will help Cook Children’s continue its work in the community.