Musician ‘Absolutely Devastated’ by Theft of Beloved Guitar

A musician has stated he is “absolutely devastated” following the theft of a cherished guitar, a gift from his grandfather. Tom A Smith, a musician hailing from Sunderland, was en route to London with his band for a scheduled radio interview and performance on Friday evening. During their journey, their van was targeted and broken into at the London Gateway service station. The perpetrators made off with all the band’s equipment, as well as laptops and medication belonging to one of the members. “Don’t know what to do. Could actually cry,” Mr Smith conveyed via a social media post. The 20-year-old vocalist disclosed that his grandfather had presented him with the guitar approximately seven years prior. “It’s my prized possession, the greatest thing I own,” he informed the BBC. He added, “In fact, I only started bringing it to shows recently because I was worried it might get stolen.” Mr Smith suggested the thieves were “obviously professionals,” noting that the band did not become aware of the van’s forced entry until their arrival at their intended destination. The scheduled interview, broadcast on Radio X, proceeded as planned, albeit without the intended live musical session. The singer confirmed that the theft had been reported to the police, whom he described as “helpful,” but expressed little optimism about recovering his stolen equipment. “I could cry,” he stated. He continued, “I’m devastated. If anyone sees anything like it for sale online, please get in touch.” The singer’s Facebook post has garnered numerous sympathetic responses, including one comment that tagged music star Elton John and requested his assistance. Readers can follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.