Rockers celebrate the Gibson guitar at annual NAMM show in Anaheim

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Texas blues guitarist Billy Gibbons, left, and Slash headline the Gibson Live at the Grove Show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Guitarist Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest shows off his white Gibson “Flying-V” guitar after his performance at the Gibson Live at the Grove show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Rock guitarist Jared Nichols plays “Mississippi Queen” during the Gibson Live at the Grove Show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Soul and blues guitarist Celisse Henderson plays a solo during the Gibson Live at the Grove show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Rocker Lzzy Hale, center, jams with Dennis Dunaway of Alice Cooper fame, right, during the Gibson Live at the Grove show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Award-winning Texas blues guitarist Ally Venable, right, plays along with band leader on the night Jimmy Vivino, during the Gibson Live at the Grove show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Guitarist Jayden Tatasciore, the youngest in the program, plays a solo “Crossroads” with guidance from Jimmy Vivino, in background, during the Gibson Live at the Grove Show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Guitarist Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest shows his skills at the edge of the stage on the Gibson “flying-v” during the Gibson Live at the Grove show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen, center, Slash from Guns and Roses fame, right, and singer Robin Zander, left, perform at the Gibson Live at the Grove Show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Noah Eckstein plays a solo, center, as band leader Jimmy Vivino, left, and Otto Junior Lagarhus join on the song “One Way Out” during the Gibson Live at the Grove show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Music Hall of Fame member Don Felder, of Eagles and “Hotel California” fame, plays a double neck Gibson during the Gibson Live at the Grove Show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Young guitarists Sonny French, Noah Eckstein, and Otto Junior Lagarhus, from left, were invited to play at the Gibson Live at the Grove event at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen plays a solo during the Gibson Live at the Grove show at NAMM on Jan. 16. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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ZZ Top guitaritst Billy Gibbons and Slash of Guns and Roses fame, greet each other prior to performing at the Gibson Live at the Grove Show at NAMM on Jan. 16 (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

By Don Leach

Jan. 20, 2020 7 AM PT

A celebration of the Gibson guitar Thursday at the Grove in Anaheim was a fitting compliment to the National Assn. of Music Merchants trade show happening down the street at the Convention Center.

The Gibson Live event put one of the legendary instruments in the hands of a variety of young men and women, as well as proven hit makers who say it’s their chosen guitar.

It was a loose, big family jam session where Grammy and Music Hall of Fame artists rotated, soloed, and shared the spotlight with relative unknowns to a full house of appreciative guests.

On display was classic rock, blues and soul, and these players showed that the brand still has a bright future.

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Rockers celebrate the Gibson guitar at annual NAMM show in Anaheim

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