Stolen Rolling Stones Guitar Resurfaces at New York Museum After 54 Years

A guitar stolen from The Rolling Stones more than 50 years ago has resurfaced in a collection recently acquired by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The instrument in question is a 1959 sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard, which – at the time of the burglary – had been owned by former guitarist Mick Taylor, who had previously purchased it from Keith Richards in 1967. 

At the time of its theft, the instrument had already been part of musical history, having been played by Richards during the Stones’ debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in October 1964, and later by Taylor during their infamous Altamont Free Concert in December 1969. Famed guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page were also said to have played the instrument as well.

However, the location of the guitar has remained a mystery since September 1971, having been reportedly stolen during the band’s recording sessions for 1972’s Exile on Main St. at Villa Nellcôte on France’s Côte d’Azur.

The story goes that the robbery occurred in broad daylight while occupants of Villa Nellcôte watched TV, having reportedly been conducted by Marseille drug dealers that Richards was said to have owed money to. The theft ultimately resulted in the loss of nine guitars, a saxophone belonging to Bobby Keys, and Bill Wyman’s bass guitar.

The trail was left cold until May of this year, when the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art announced it had received a “landmark gift” of more than 500 guitars from the “golden age of American guitar making,” consisting of instruments made between 1920 and 1970.

Notably, the Met’s own announcement of the collection also included specific mention of Taylor’s long-lost Les Paul and its famed appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. 

Now, in a statement shared to Page Six, Taylor’s business manager and partner, Marlies Damming, has claimed that the “flaming” pattern on the body of the guitar confirms it as Taylor’s elusive instrument.

“There are numerous photos of Mick Taylor playing this Les Paul, as it was his main guitar until it disappeared,” Damming explained. “The interesting thing about these vintage Les Pauls (from the late 1950s), is that they are renowned for their flaming, which is unique, like a fingerprint.”

Additionally, an unnamed source stated that Taylor is “mystified as to how his property found its way into the Met’s collection,” and noted the musician had “never received compensation for the theft.”