Latest news with #Norman'sRareGuitars
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lost since 1985, Gibson kicks off hunt for missing 'Back to the Future' guitar
Marty McFly's rendition of 'Johnny B. Goode' at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance in "Back to the Future" is one of the most memorable scenes from the 1980s. But despite how unforgettable the image of Michael J. Fox rocking out on a Gibson ES-345 is, the whereabouts of the actual guitar are a mystery. And the cast from the film is asking for your help finding it. Advertisement In a video posted by Gibson Tuesday, Fox, Lea Thompson (Lorraine), Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown) and other members of the team behind the 1985 film are enlisting the public to track down the prop guitar, which they say has not been seen since 1985. 'It's somewhere lost in the space-time continuum,' says Fox. 'Or it's in some Teamster's garage.' The guitar originally hailed from Norman's Rare Guitars, a shop in Los Angeles known for its vast selection of vintage guitars. Norman Harris, the shop's owner, told Reverb in 2015 he received a call from the Warner Bros. Prop department in 1984 asking for a guitar that looked futuristic. Advertisement After originally renting the film a Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster, the art director came back to Harris asking for another option in red with a whammy. Though it wouldn't be era-correct for 1955, Harris eventually presented them with the ES-345 (which would not be available until 1958). When production was ramping up for the sequel, Harris told Reverb he received a call from the studio asking to use the same guitar once again. The problem was he didn't remember what happened to it. Gibson is producing a documentary about the search for the guitar as the film turns 40, titled 'Lost to the Future.' 'We've been looking into leads and rumors for a long time, and as you can imagine, we're talking 40 years ago, so memories fade,' Lost to the Future director Doc Crotzer told The Hollywood Reporter. 'We weren't in the era of digital trails, or of receipts and things like that. There are conflicting reports too. You can find about as many different rumors as you can people.' Advertisement Harris apparently has told a few different stories over the years explaining the possible whereabouts of the guitar, including one which claims he sold it to a friend, who sold it to a woman who eventually returned to the store and asked for $1 million to sell it back. It may seem like an unthinkable travesty for such an iconic piece of movie history to be lost, but it was only recently that studios recognized the value of their props from major films. Today, studios keep detailed inventory tracking systems and work with auction houses such as Propstore and Julien's to sell items shortly after the release of the film to recoup costs. The filmmakers are encouraging anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of the guitar to visit the website and contact them with tips. Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Back to the Future' cast seeks help in search for red guitar
'Back to the Future' cast seeks help in search for red guitar "Back to the Future" co-creator Bob Gale described the red electric guitar as an important piece of cinema history and memorabilia. Show Caption Hide Caption Original E.T. model from 1982 sci-fi classic film up for auction An original E.T. model from the 1982 film is up for auction along with other items from classic horror, science fiction, and fantasy films. Marty McFly's iconic red guitar from the original "Back to the Future" is missing, and the movie's cast and filmmakers are asking for the public's help to bring it back to the present. Musical instrument chain Gibson uploaded a video on Tuesday, June 2, revealing the cherry red Gibson ES-345 guitar hasn't been seen since 1985, when the film premiered. The video featured several stars from the movie, including Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly), Lea Thompson (Lorraine Baines McFly), Christopher Lloyd (Dr. Emmett Brown) and Harry Waters Jr. (Marvin Berry). "It's somewhere lost in the space time continuum, or it's in some teamster's garage," Fox said in the video. "If you know where it is, if you know who has it, call us, text us. We need that guitar. I need it." "Back to the Future" co-creator Bob Gale said the electric guitar is an important piece of cinema history and memorabilia. It's unclear who last had the instrument, with Lloyd saying "somehow it's vanished," but added the team will be forever grateful for its return. Where was the Gibson guitar last seen? The team behind the sci-fi adventure film rented the Gibson guitar from Los Angeles business Norman's Rare Guitars and returned it to them following production, according to The Hollywood Reporter. However, "Lost to the Future" director Doc Crotzer and Gibson's Brand Experience Director, Mark Agnesi, clarified they have no clue where it is now. "We've been looking into leads and rumors for a long time, and as you can imagine, we're talking 40 years ago, so memories fade," Crotzer told the outlet. "We weren't in the era of digital trails, or of receipts and things like that. There are conflicting reports too. You can find about as many different rumors as you can people." Crotzer and Agnesi said there have been many stories about where the guitar went, including the likely scenario that it was sold at the LA store. Yet, they are hoping the global search could lead to more concrete answers. "I knew that guitar came from Norm's, the first day on the job, I was looking in cases," Agnesi told The Hollywood Reporter. "Every time I'd go to storage to Norm's warehouse, I was checking ES-cases to see if he still had it. I've been looking since 2009, 15 years of looking for this thing. It's cool we're going to let the world know we're looking for it and everyone gets to join in." Anyone with information on the instrument's whereabouts is encouraged to submit a tip to the new Lost To The Future website or contact (855) 345-1955 through a text message or a phone call.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michael J. Fox Wants Your Help Finding His Long-Lost ‘Back to the Future' Guitar
Michael J. Fox and Gibson guitars are searching for the cherry red ES-345 guitar that the actor famously played in Back to the Future, which has been missing since the late 1980s. Fox played the guitar during the film's pivotal scene at the 'Enchantment Under the Sea' dance, as his character Marty McFly tried to make sure his high school-aged parents fell in love. Filling in for injured bandleader Marvin Berry (Harry Waters Jr.), Marty rips a rendition of 'Johnny B. Goode' (with some hair metal-style solos for good measure) that's several years too early for the 1955 audience — though Marvin famously calls his cousin Chuck to tip him off to this 'new sound.' More from Rolling Stone Michael J. Fox Will Return to Acting With Guest Role on 'Shrinking' Season 3 Wear the Movies: Uniqlo Debuts New Universal T-Shirts Featuring Films Like "Jaws", "Back to the Future" The 'Cobra Kai' Creators Teased a 'Back to the Future' Show in the Series Finale. Is That Possible? While the scene instantly became one of the most iconic moments from the smash 1985 movie, by the time Fox and the Back to the Future creative team reunited for the 1989 sequel, the guitar was missing. 'It's somewhere lost in the spacetime continuum, or it's in some teamsters garage,' Fox quipped in a short promo video announcing the search. The clip also features several other Back to the Future actors, including Waters, Christopher Lloyd, and Lea Thompson, as well as the film's writer, Bob Gale. Huey Lewis, who provided music for the original film and had a small cameo as a high school talent show judge, even makes an appearance. As for the actual search, fans who might have information pertaining to the whereabouts of the cherry red ES-345 can contact Gibson via the website or by calling or texting 1-855-345-1955. In a statement, Fox spoke about his long love of music and called the 'Enchantment Under the Sea' scene 'an expression of my love for guitar and all the great players,' from Jimi Hendrix to Eddie Van Halen. He also noted the significant influence the scene has had on other musicians, recalling, 'John Mayer said, 'I play guitar because of you,' and Chris Martin said the same thing.' Fox continued: 'I am glad they took it further than I did, they went to the trouble of being really good players. I just love the guitar, and I love the movie.' Mark Agnesi, a guitar aficionado and director of brand experience at Gibson, said he's been looking for the Gibson for years. He started his search way back in 2009 when he began working at the hallowed shop Norman's Rare Guitars in Los Angeles, adding, 'After 16 years of searching, I'm so excited to get the entire guitar community together to help find the guitar that made me, and so many other guitarists of my generation, want to learn to play.' The hunt for the guitar notably coincides with the 40th anniversary of the release of Back to the Future. Gibson Films is also helping to produce Doc Crotzer's upcoming documentary, Lost to the Future, which will chronicle the search for the guitar while also looking at the legacy and making of the film. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Lost to the Future:' Which iconic musical instrument has been lost for 40 years?
Michael J. Fox made history in 1985 when his "Back to the Future" character Marty McFly played Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" on a cherry red Gibson ES-345. That iconic scene influenced musicians from John Mayer to Coldplay's Chris Martin to pick up a guitar. As the movie celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2025, producers and writers behind the classic film thought it would be fun to bring out the famed guitar. Unfortunately, nobody knows where it is. Mark Agnesi, director of brand experience at Gibson Guitars, said that while an official search launched in 2025, he's personally been looking for it since 2009. The guitar (which Michael J. Fox did actually play during the film) was rented from Norman's Rare Guitars in Los Angeles for the film. After the scene was shot, what happened to it is a mystery. "I ran Norman's Rare Guitars for 10 years and my first day on the job, every time I would open a case of something in the store, I would look for this guitar," Agnesi told The Tennessean. "We have been searching for it quietly, but now we are at a place where we need the public's help." Because Gibson made more than one cherry red ES-345 in the early 1960s, finding the guitar used in the movie could be challenging. Luckily, it has one very telling birthmark. " What's really peculiar and what makes this whole thing even stranger and cooler and better is this guitar has a very, very unusual anomaly that shouldn't be on this guitar," Agnesi said. Gibson ES-345s have a unique design feature called a "split parallelogram inlay." (A parallelogram is a slanted, four-sided shape whose opposing sides are the same length). The instrument Marty played in the "Enchantment Under the Sea" school dance scene had two parallelograms going down the neck of the guitar, and the 12th fret has a solid parallelogram instead of a split, Agnesi said. "This is not a stock or standard feature," Agnesi said. "This is a complete and total anomaly that was either custom ordered or it was a factory second guitar where the little piece of wood chipped out so they just put a solid piece in. The fact that happened to be the one that got rented to the movie is the one saving grace that is going to help us know we have found the guitar because it shouldn't be there." It's possible whoever has the guitar also has its original case and even an official letter from Norm Harris, owner of the guitar shop that rented it for the movie. Or not. "We also know Norm wrote a letter of authenticity that's probably floating around with the guitar too, but whether or not that's even still part of the package, if it's still in the pocket of the case, who knows," he said. "But somewhere there's some kind of letter authenticating it from Norm's as well." In addition to launching a public search for the piece of rock and roll history, Gibson Films is making "Lost to the Future," a documentary about the search that director Doc Crotzer hopes will have a happy ending. "We have a whole bunch of leads and tips that we want to investigate, but we also want to make sure we can capture it on film so that fans can go along for the ride with us," Crotzer said. "And hopefully that magic moment when we find it, they get to share in." "Lost to the Future" will feature interviews with "Back to the Future" stars including Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, Christopher Llyod and Harry Waters Jr. It will also feature interviews with musician Huey Lewis, who wrote and performed 'Power of Love' from the movie's soundtrack, along with co-creator/screenwriter/producer Bob Gale. Gale wasn't aware that the guitar had been lost until Crotzer approached him about it. "If we had known what this was going to be, we probably would've bought the guitar," Gale said. "We probably spent more money renting it than it would've cost to buy it. But okay, it's Hollywood and this is what you do. I came to learn that the guitar in 'Back to Future' Part Two (the movie's sequel) is not the same exact guitar that we had in Part One." Break a leg: Kings of Leon's Caleb Followill cancels upcoming shows Live music: June is 'concert season' in Nashville. Festivals, rock shows and Willie Nelson are among our top picks Gale said there have been lots of rumors around where the guitar might be. Maybe a tourist bought it? Who knows. Maybe someone swiped it? No hard feelings, just come forward, he pleaded. "We won't call the cops, I promise," he said. "What if it's just been in a case in a closet and the owner just thinks it's just some cool, old vintage guitar, but they have no idea that it's the one from 'Back to the Future?" Crotzer asked. "Hopefully, whoever has it in whatever way that they are comfortable, they would be willing to share it with with fans, especially given that this year is the 40th anniversary of the movie." Anyone with a tip on the guitar's whereabouts can call 1-855-345-1955 or visit Melonee Hurt covers music and music business at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee. Reach Melonee at mhurt@ or on Instagram at @MelHurtWrites. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Movie guitar that influenced Chris Martin, John Mayer is lost
