Ron McCoy And His Guitar

In 1960 Ron McCoy’s father gave him the greatest gift a 16-year-old musician could ask for, a custom-made blonde, semi-acoustic Gibson Byrdland guitar that had his name "Ronny McCoy" inlayed with Mother of Pearl on the neck.

Years later, in the early 70’s while traveling with his kids from Dallas, Texas to Long Beach, California, they stopped in El Paso, Texas. That evening someone used a bolt cutter to break into their trailer and stole, among other things, his beloved guitar. When the police arrived, they told Ron that since they were only a few miles from the border, it was likely the guitar was gone forever.

Ron gave up on ever seeing that guitar again. However, after a few close friends heard Ron tell this story and saw this man close to tears, 45 years later, they took up the hunt…and it has been found! To everyone’s amazement, the guitar is in great shape. Having passed through countless hands over the preceding decades and finally landing in a private collection.

The reason we are taking on this endeavor is that each of our lives and careers have been directly impacted by Ron’s generosity and wisdom throughout the years. We are just a few of the many people who have cultivated careers because of Ron.

We are raising money to reunite Ron McCoy with his long-lost guitar and to document the reunion. On this journey, we will highlight an exceptional career that spans the worlds of Country Music, Americana and Rock & Roll.

1st GOAL: $5,000 will go directly to buying the guitar from the current owner, who has generously agreed to part with this nearly priceless instrument for a fraction of what it might normally sell for.

2nd GOAL: $3,000 to pay for travel expenses to facilitate and document the reunion.

3rd GOAL: $100,000.00 All remaining money raised will go into producing the documentary and obtaining licenses and rights to the music Ron impacted throughout his life.

In Ron’s words, “I can hardly wait to get back with the guitar and put my stories with her stories and see what kind of music comes out.”

Thank you for any donation you could give, and please spread the word! We cannot wait to share this incredible story with the world.

A quick look into the career of Ron McCoy

Ron McCoy has been in the music industry for nearly 70 years. He has worn many hats throughout his career, including musician, recording artist, DJ, TV Producer, member of numerous bands and currently, owns a recording studio in North Hollywood, California.

Ron’s mother began to teach him a few key chords on the guitar when he was 9 years old, and seeing his natural talent, his parents arranged his first guitar lesson at 10.

At 14 he was signed with RCA Records and recorded with Country Music Hall of Fame Producer Chet Atkins along with legends like Buddy Harman, Hank Garland and Floyd Cramer. The first time Johnny Horton played "The Battle of New Orleans" onstage in New Orleans LA, Ron McCoy was there. He also appeared onstage at "The Grand Old Opry" and "Louisiana Hayride" all before he was 16.

Right out of Highschool, Ron transitioned into the world of radio and became a DJ in Dallas, Texas, eventually becoming a program director. He then decided that California was the place to be and that is where he became the Program Director & DJ of free-form radio station KNAC in Long Beach, CA. Ron continued to play in various incarnations of the “Ron McCoy Band.”

Ron was an incredibly influential DJ who worked with various legends in the industry. Ron was the first DJ on the West Coast to play “Blue Oyster Cult” on the radio. Ron liked them so much that he and a producing partner brought the band over from the East Coast to play concerts in the Los Angeles area. To this day, “Blue Oyster Cult” credits Ron with their success, and they have presented him with multiple gold records that now hang on the walls of McCoy Studios.

Ron is also credited as being the first person to play “Super Tramp” on the Radio, and in 1977, Warner Brothers Records asked Ron to introduce yet another unknown band, “Van Halen,” at the amusement park, Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.

Currently, Ron runs McCoy Studios in North Hollywood, California and is still looking for that #1 hit.

We may not be able to get him to the top of the charts, but together we can reunite Ron with his prized guitar and make a long-abandoned dream come true.