Thieves took Kathleen Edwards’ Les Paul
Ottawa-area songstress Kathleen Edwards is hurtin’. Bad.
Edwards, a repeat Juno nominee with several albums to her credit, issued a Facebook appeal on Thursday for the return of a rare and valuable guitar, a 1957 Les Paul Junior, taken from her Stittsville home.
“I can only guess that someone came in through the back door when it was unlocked, picked it up, without a case, and walked out,” she wrote Thursday afternoon. “I am hoping that this post will circulate in the Ottawa area and come across the person responsible, or someone who has noticed a friend or relative with a new instrument kicking around.”
Her appeal attracted nearly 1,000 likes and more than 3,000 shares within an hour of its being posted.
“I have shared this on my timeline because I have quite a few friends who are musicians,” one respondent, Terry McNamee, wrote. “They will keep their eyes out too. I hope it is found safe.”
Edwards, too, warned the thief that he or she will have hard time selling it.
“Be very very sure, a 1957 Les Paul doesn’t just get resold online, in a pawnshop, at a guitar store without gaining attention. You won’t be able to play it in front of people. It will draw attention, someone will notice. People who buy and sell valuable instruments know exactly what they are, and when they are stolen.”
The singer-songwriter, who was en route to Dundas, Ont., on Thursday evening for a performance there on Saturday, said she was willing to accept a “no questions asked” agreement to have the guitar returned.
Edwards, who also operates a coffee shop in Stittsville called Quitters, is one of Canada’s most acclaimed exports, with seven Juno nominations, multiple performances on the Late Show with David Letterman, and positive reviews around the world.