U2 Picture

Pic: 1976 Gibson Explorer Guitar. U2's the Edge used this guitar in many stage performances since the U2 album 'Joshua Tree' (est. $80,000 and up). . * THE EDGE DONATES MUSIC TRINKETS TO AUCTION. U2 guitarist THE EDGE is donating music memorabilia from his personal collection to charity, in a bid to raise cash to replace musical equipment destroyed in 2005's Hurricane Katrina.. The rocker - real name David Evans - will donate several items, including two guitars, to the second annual Icons of Music sale.. The money raised from the event will go to The Edge's charity, Music Rising, which aims to preserve the rich musical culture in New Orleans, Louisiana by replacing instruments lost in the atrocity.. The charity, which the star created in 2005, with record producer Bob Ezrin and Gibson Guitar Corporation's chairman Henry Juszkiewicz, has provided grants to replace instruments and equipment for 2,700 professional musicians and 50,000 students and church parishioners to date.. The 31 May (08) sale, to be held by Hollywood's Julien's Auctions at New York's Hard Rock Cafe, will also feature guitars played by late rocker Kurt Cobain, Slash and Johnny Cash, as well as a trumpet played by Miles Davis, and handwritten notes by Bob Dylan.. The Edge says, There's something powerful about musicians giving instruments they own to an auction to aid musicians who are going through a particularly difficult time.. A lot of musicians were forced to leave the city, leaving behind their instruments and record collections, everything they needed to do what they do.. The kind of organic community music academy that was so supportive of handing down the traditions of this music from generation to generation was really vulnerable. (CAM/WNWCAG/MT)