Monday, December 12, 2011

Pearl Jam autographs removed from stolen guitar

Vermont police have recovered a 1972 Fender Telecaster guitar that once belonged to Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and was stolen from a Burlington, VT apartment.

The Burlington Free Press reports the guitar, signed by Pearl Jam members, was given to Josh Hardy nearly 20 years ago, during a trip made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Josh, a big music fan, had a brain tumor and died three months after the October 1992 visit to Seattle, Wash.

The guitar's owner, Ben Hardy, reported the arrests on his Facebook page. "Received a phone call from Burlington Police," he wrote Sunday. "They have found my stolen items, including the Telecaster!"

The guitar has been recovered by city police, but the band members' signatures are gone.

Jeffrey Leduc and Timothy Crews were arrested on charges of felony possession of stolen property, Burlington police said.

Police had received tips from the public about the theft after media coverage last week. Ben reported to police that the guitar and other items were stolen when he was out of the country between Thanksgiving and Dec. 5.

Ben said on Facebook that the police planned to hang onto the guitar to help with the prosecution of the case. He thanked everyone who'd supported him since the theft was discovered and reported.

"It's an amazing ending to quite the ordeal," he wrote on Facebook. "There is no question that all the positivity and hope generated through this network played a big role in the guitar's return."


See also:

VIDEO: Watch full Eddie Vedder set at Bridge School
VIDEO: Pearl Jam – Not For You
Pearl Jam Twenty DVD due this month
Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary DVD/CD on the way
VIDEO: Pearl Jam rocks Pink Floyd on Fallon
20 Days of Pearl Jam: Day 20
20 Days of Pearl Jam: Day 19
20 Days of Pearl Jam: Day 18
20 Days of Pearl Jam: Day 17
20 Days of Pearl Jam: Day 16
20 Days of Pearl Jam: Day 15
20 Days of Pearl Jam: Day 14
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 13
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 12
VIDEO: Neil Young joins Pearl Jam in Toronto
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 11
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 10
VIDEO: Pearl Jam rock Jimmy Fallon night 2
VIDEO: Pearl Jam rock Montreal
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 9
VIDEO: Pearl Jam debut new song on Jimmy Fallon
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 8
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 7
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 6
VIDEO: Watch full Pearl Jam set PJ20 Day 2
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 5
VIDEO: Pearl Jam debut new song at PJ20 Day 2
LIVE @ hennemusic: Pearl Jam at Alpine Valley Day 2
VIDEO: Watch full Pearl Jam set from PJ20 Day 1
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 4
VIDEO: Pearl Jam reunite Temple Of The Dog at Alpine Valley
LIVE @ hennemusic: Pearl Jam at Alpine Valley
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 3
20 days of Pearl Jam: Day 2
VIDEO: 20 days of Pearl Jam - Day 1
Pearl Jam to play two nights on Jimmy Fallon
Pearl Jam documentary to open at Toronto International Film Festival
VIDEO: Pearl Jam guitarist joins Soundgarden in L.A.