Historic guitar donated in honor of Carl Perkins
JACKSON, TENN– The Hub City remembers a legend.
Monday, dozens gathered at the Legends of Tennessee Music Museum to honor Carl Perkins including the founder of the Hard Rock Cafe and Jackson native, Isaac Tigrett.
“He’s known and adored throughout the world as the Rockabilly King. He’s the guy who created this sound and there are fans all over this world,” Tigrett said.
Tigrett shared memories of the man he called a friend calling him a gift to the world.
One special guest came all the way from Texas with a special gift.
“This is really a special time because I was able to do something that may be really meaningful to the history of Jackson,” John Jennings said.
Jennings is donating an artifact some consider to be the beginning of a musical era.
“It was his first electric guitar. So this is truly a relic of the beginning of Rockabilly rock and roll. The very start of it.” Jennings said.
Jennings got the guitar from his father who bought it from a co-worker after Perkins sold it.
“The museum is now going to have Carl Perkins’ first electric guitar on display here, that’s pretty special,” Madison county Mayor Jimmy Harris said.
With a museum full of history Mayor Harris hopes it will bring attention to Jackson.
“It means something especially to tourist from out of town who want to see and be around where Carl Perkins played music and grew up,” Harris said.
“It’s important things like this museum to remind people that Jackson had some famous sons and did some things that are important,” Tigrett said.
