Eddie Cochran wouldn't have had his Gretsch 6120 if not for the artist who hired him to play lead guitar in 1953-1954.
skip to 5:50 for the story of when Forrest Lee purchased the guitar from Bell Gardens Music Center in Garden Grove, CA for Eddie. When Eddie joined the duo Forrest Lee and Clete Stewart along with his friend Warren Flock, and soon after Hank Cochran, (no relation).
There's been very little information about who actually purchased the Gretsch Eddie Cochran played his entire professional career.
My father Forrest told me about Eddie after I read a Guitar Player Magazine which had Eddie Van Halen, and Jimmy Hendrix on the cover.
I asked my father, didn't Eddie Cochran used to play lead guitar for you.
My dad said he was like a son to him. Eddue called Forrest Cap... as in Captain. Dad also said it broke his heart when Eddie died in the car accident in Bath, England.
Forrest Lee Sr also revealed some history nobody knew. And as a kid, I really had no idea the impact Eddie Cochran had on the history of Rock and Roll.
Jimmy Hendrix idolized Eddie Cochran. Jimmy said seeing Eddie Cochran was what made him want to play guitar.
Which kinda blew me away when I read that in Guitar Player Magzine. Also John Lennon and Paul McCartney idolized Eddie Cochran. In fact if you go to the Beatles Museum in Liverpool, the first person you see isn't Elvis. It's Eddie Cochran! Maybe that's why dad was always getting called from England asking about Eddie from complete strangers.
I leaned this Beatles Museum information about a decade ago when on tour in the UK, and my lead guitarist surprised me with a trip to the museum on our day off.
I know I'm in the right here, so I'm going forward posting this video.
and if it gets flagged for copyright infringement, there may be a lawsuit.
because My father Forrest Lee wrote both of the songs, and these are his master recordings from 1953.
I control his catalog. and I'm proving it, by showing the world how easily artists can be taken advantage of.