The Case:
A Michigan man owns a Guild brand acoustic guitar that he says once belonged to legendary African-American folksinger Josh White, who is credited with introducing black folk, gospel and blues music to a world audience in the 1940s.
Our contributor met White after a concert when he was a kid, and the guitar reminds him of a confidence White had shared with him: the Guild Company was talking to White about making a signature guitar built to his specifications and to be marketed under his name.
If this is the guitar White had spoken of, it would be the first signature guitar ever created for an African American musician in the United States.
History Detectives explores the crossover appeal of Josh White’s music and his ability to win over a racially polarized music industry.
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