A historic Rolling Stones , stolen in the 1970s, has been found in a collection recently donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The instrument, a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard sunburst, belonged to the band's former guitarist, Mick Taylor , at the time of the theft.
Stolen in 1972, used during the recording sessions for the album Exile On Main St. at the Villa Nellcôte mansion on the French Riviera, many believed the guitar was lost forever. According to reports from the time, local drug dealers, to whom Keith Richards owed money, stole the guitar. In total, nine guitars were taken, in addition to a bass belonging to Bill Wyman and a saxophone belonging to Bobby Keys .
The story of the legendary Les Paul
Taylor bought the guitar from Keith Richards in 1967. Taylor used the guitar at the infamous Altamont Free Concert in 1969, and Richards used it during the band's first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Names like Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton have also played with the borrowed guitar in the past.
Marlies Damming , Taylor's business manager, confirmed to Page Six that the 1959 Les Paul is among the instruments acquired by the museum. The "flaming" pattern on the guitar's body makes it unmistakably the original.
“There are countless photos of Mick Taylor playing this Les Paul, as it was his main guitar until it disappeared. What’s interesting about these vintage Les Pauls is that they are known for their flames, which are unique, like a fingerprint,” Damming explained.
Another unidentified source told the publication:
"Taylor claims he never received compensation for the theft and is baffled as to how his property ended up in the Met's collection."
The museum announced in May a “historic donation of more than 500 of the finest guitars from the golden age of American guitar making.” At the time, the institution even mentioned the instrument, highlighting that the collection included a “1959 Les Paul sunburst guitar used by Keith Richards during the Rolling Stones’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.”
Businessman Dirk Ziff donated the collection, which includes instruments that belonged to artists such as Roy Rogers and Mississippi John Hurt .
In other Rolling Stones news, The Sun reported last month that the rock legends are working on a new album and planning a new tour. The publication stated that Richards, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, and drummer Steve Jordan have been working on the successor to Hackney Diamonds since April.
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