AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) added “Rockabilly,” a guitar autographed by the members of the Texas rock band ZZ Top, to its GuitarTown exhibit. Signed by Frank Beard, Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons, “Rockabilly” is now part of the airport’s iconic display of 10-foot tall fiberglass musical instruments.
The guitar was created by local artists Cindy Raschke and Craig Barnes as part of the 2007 Austin GuitarTown auction sponsored by the Gibson Foundation. Proceeds from the auction, which reached nearly $600,000, benefitted local charities including American Youthworks and the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.
Austin philanthropist and businessman, Milton Verret, was the winning bidder of several of the oversized instruments, including the “Rockabilly” guitar. Following the auction, Verret donated eight of the guitars to the City of Austin. The City placed them on public display on the Lower Level of ABIA, creating what is now the illustrious GuitarTown exhibit.
“Rockabilly,” on loan from Verret to ABIA, joins the other 10-foot tall guitars Verret donated in 2007. A nod to the city’s thriving music scene, the display has become a well-known attraction at the airport.
“The ‘Rockabilly’ signed by ZZ Top is such a cool combination of music and art, and a reflection of the City’s reputation as the ‘Live Music Capital of the Word,’ so I’m happy to share it with the public,” said Milton Verret about parting with the guitar. “It also gives me great pleasure to know the giant guitars that helped raise so much money for deserving charities nearly six years ago continue to be such a welcome sight to all of the visitors who pass through Austin’s airport.”
A total of 9,430,314 passengers traveled through ABIA last year, enjoying the GuitarTown exhibit made possible by Verret’s gifts.
About Milton Verret
Milton Verret is an Austin entrepreneur and philanthropist who works with a number of charities, both locally and nationally. Verret has made available hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to nearly a dozen non-profit organizations including the Make a Wish Foundation of Central Texas and the Superhero Kids Fund of the Children’s Blood Cancer Center at Dell Children’s Medical Center. Many of Verret’s philanthropic endeavors are well-known in the Austin community. Verret’s donations from the 2007 GuitarTown auction are now displayed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and, as a major underwriter, Verret made possible the 2011 CowParade Austin campaign, which raised nearly $1.5 million for the Superhero Kids Fund. Today, through his charitable projects, Verret continues to work to both enhance his local community and raise money for children’s causes all over the world.
