Has a guitar player ever done anything heroic?

[taterguy]

Off the top of my head I can't think of anything, except maybe Jimi Hendrix touring the South opening up for the Monkees before he got famous.

He risked his life so racist teeny-boppers would be exposed to great music.

Any other examples?

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. Clapton has survived a ton of crap.

:thumbsup:

[gmoney]

9. undo

:hide:

[Shell Beau]

2. Me when I play Guitar Hero III.

:P Not what you had in mind I am assuming!

[Bucky]

3. Need it be for something guitar-playing-related? Are we limited to professional guitarists?

Kind sir, please define your terms with greater precision when making philosophical inquiries. I imagine that several of the Mercury and Gemini astronauts were amateur guitar players and thus would qualify under certain interpretations of your question.

[Bucky]

5. Oh shit! I forgot Woody Guthrie.

He's a hero by any measure.

[gmoney]

10. Arlo almost got a medal for bein' so brave and honest on the telephone...

...which was not very likely, and he didn't expect it.

[mitchum]

4. Yes, Randy California died while saving his son from drowning

[taterguy]

6. That's why I post here, to learn from more knowledgeable folks

Thanks

[Redstone]

7. Jeez, I never knew that. Thanks for posting the info. Now I know that he was a great guy

in addition to being a great guitarist.

Redstone

[lost-in-nj]

8. Don't know about guitar heros

but I have heard about Juke box heroes!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5_qhnWByA4




lost

[bluedigger]

11. Django Rienhardt.

From wikipedia:
"At the age of 18 Reinhardt was injured in a fire that ravaged the caravan he shared with Bella, his first wife. They were very poor, and to supplement their income Bella made imitation flowers out of celluloid and paper for her living. Consequently, their home was full of this highly flammable material. Returning from a performance late one night, Django apparently knocked over a candle on his way to bed. While his family and neighbors were quick to pull him to safety, he received first- and second-degree burns over half his body. His right leg was paralyzed and the fourth and fifth fingers of his left hand were badly burnt. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again and intended to amputate the leg. Reinhardt refused to have the surgery and left the hospital after a short time; he was able to walk within a year with the aid of a cane.

His brother Joseph Reinhardt, an accomplished guitarist himself, bought Django a new guitar. With painful rehabilitation and practice Django relearned his craft in a completely new way, even as his third and fourth fingers remained partially paralyzed. Hence, he used to play solos with only two fingers, and managed to use the two injured ones for some chords."

"As World War II was declared, the original quintet was on tour in the United Kingdom. Reinhardt returned to Paris at once, leaving his wife behind. Grappelli remained in the United Kingdom for the duration of the war and Reinhardt reformed the quintet in Paris with Hubert Rostaing on clarinet in place of Grappelli's violin.

Reinhardt survived World War II unscathed, unlike many other Gypsies who perished in the concentration death camps of the Nazis. It was especially hard for Django's people because jazz itself was not allowed under Hitler's regime. He had the help of a Luftwaffe official named Dietrich Schulz-Köhn, also known as "Doktor Jazz", who deeply admired his music."

more:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Reinhardt

[CGowen]

12. Smashing his only guitar before a gig would be heroic in a way. n/t

[taterguy]

13. Not according to this guy . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6-HoQRHP1k