878 guitarists are too few to break record

Shreveport Times

A sea of guitarists flooded the lower level of Hirsch Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.

But recording legend James Burton and 877 fellow pickers were not enough to break the Guinness World Record for largest guitar ensemble. That remains with a German band that had 1,802 guitarists playing "Smoke on the Water" in 2007.

The attempt, part of the James Burton International Guitar Festival, gave many a reason to dust off their guitars.

But 11-year-old Chase Rogers was able to participate because of Burton. The classical guitar the Summerfield Elementary student played Saturday was donated to his school by the James Burton Foundation.

The festival is a fundraiser for foundation, which provides technical training, music lessons and free guitars to young musicians, according to its Web site. The foundation has donated more than 1,800 guitars to Bossier and Caddo schools since it was began in 2003.

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