I have sent the following message to several radio stations in the Richmond, VA area without much luck of discovering the story behind this mandolin and who "Roy M" is/was. I am hoping someone here might help me solve the mystery of "Roy M" and this vintage Gibson. Thanks!
"Hello,
I am writing with the hopes that someone at your station, or someone from the early days of your station, may be able to help identify the long ago owner of an early 1950's Gibson mandolin. Allow me to explain. This past December, in Northeastern Pennsylvania, while sorting items in the basement of his recently deceases parents, my friend Jack came upon an old road-worn Gibson mandolin. It is a mystery as to where it came from, or how it got there, especially in light of the fact that there is not, and never has been, a mandolin player in the family. And as is the lament of all of us who have lost a parent, we call out questions concerning things like an old instrument in the basement, but mom and dad just aren't there anymore to answer. However, the owner of this instrument has left clues as to its history. As can be seen on the attached image of the mandolin case, there is a list of various radio and TV stations that I assume are places where the owner had played in the days when live performance radio was the norm. Most of these call letters are from the Richmond, Virginia area with a few in West Virginia and Tennessee. Also written on the case is the name "Roy" and on the truss rod cover are the initials "RM." Based upon the style of the Gibson logo, I would conclude that in perhaps the early 1950's there was a band that was good enough and popular enough to perform at notable radio stations in and around Richmond, Virginia. This band was also good enough to travel to significant Country and Western themed radio stations in neighboring states. Also this band had a mandolin player who had a first name of Roy and a last name that began with M. Furthermore this "Roy M" took his mandolin playing seriously enough that he purchased not just any mandolin but a Gibson mandolin. Given the condition of well worn frets, a missing pick guard, and from the pick wear on the top of the instrument, it suggests that "Roy M" played long, played hard and played with passion. As you have likely figured out by now your call letters, or your previous call letters, are written on Roy's mandolin case. He and his band very likely played live in your studio. This is where I am asking your help. Does any one associated with your station know of, or heard of, or would know someone who would remember "Roy M" the mandolin player of the 1950's? You know there is a practical part of me that thinks tracking down the owner of along lost mandolin is, well, a bit ridiculous and a waste of my time, and a waste of the time of others. In reality we all have much to do in this ever busy world. But there is a story here--the story of a man and his fellow musicians making music, playing out and performing in a golden age of live radio. It would have been a time when most households did not have TV and the radio was where folks turned to for entertainment. Really there could have been thousands who listened to Roy M and his band buddies banging out, jamming out well-rehearsed spirited tunes carried on radio waves throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond. As one who loves a good story, I would ask that if there is any information you may have on Roy that would connect this well-worn, but still beautiful sounding mandolin, to the man who played it so long ago, I would greatly appreciate if you could pass that info my direction.
Thank you for your time!
PS My friend Jack has lived in England with his wife and family for the past 30 years. Rather than taking it back to England, Jack has asked me to take the instrument to have it professionally assessed here in the states. I have done this and there were a very few minor repairs done to the mandolin to get it playable. Also, as you can see in the attached image, there is a Virginia state "Old Dominion" Sticker on the front and a "PG13" "Lady Luck" decal on the back, copyright 1941 on the Lady Luck decal."
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