Canadian musician Danny Michel is crediting the power of social media and the honesty of an Innisfil baker for locating his missing guitar.
Michel's vintage 1963 Gibson B-25 acoustic guitar was lost on July 17 at 10 a.m. at the Tesla charging station at Park Place.
"Estimated book value $2500 -$3000. Sentimental value = priceless," Michel said on Facebook where the multiple Juno and Polaris nominated songwriter and producer offered a reward for the return of his beloved guitar.
On Tuesday night, his social media plea was answered.
Michel was contacted by Bruno Alonzi, owner of Bruno's Bakery and Cafe on Innisfil Beach Rd., who said he had found the missing instrument.
"WE FOUND IT! Incredible!!!!!," Michel announced to his followers. "The power of social media! I have the best fans in the world! Thanks to over 1000 shares Bruno Alonzi saw it online and sent me this email!: 'Found your guitar sitting all alone in the parking lot. Would love to see it back to you, will gladly return it. Call me.'
Alonzi told BarrieToday.com that he was dropping his wife at LA Fitness Tuesday when he saw two men at the Tesla station transferring some things between cars.
When he was leaving, he noticed the men and the cars were gone but there was a guitar on the pavement.
He pulled a U-turn and picked it up.
"Took it home, figured if nobody found it I was going to teach myself how to play guitar I guess," he joked, adding he had no intention of ever selling the guitar.
Then he just happened to be searching Facebook and saw that somebody posted it so he contacted Michel right away.
Alonzi learned the guitar had been left behind by accident.
Then he began to discover more about the instrument's famous owner.
"I didn't know who he was. Then he got a message from Chris Hadfield, the astronaut, congratulating him on finding it and thanking me for finding it. It's been interesting to say the least," said Alonzi, who has since been flooded with kudos.
"It's exploded. It's been crazy. I've gotten messages from Nova Scotia to Vancouver to Florida to Germany. People I don't know. Basically mostly musical industry and fans of his. It's been nice. Really nice."
Michel plans to meet with Alonzi to retrieve his guitar and thank the good Samaritan in person.
"Bruno is my hero! I’m going to meet on Thursday to get my baby back and buy 500 cakes! Cakes for all my friends!" said Michel in a post to share the good news.
"If you want cakes, breads, pastries, and assorted desserts made and baked from scratch by a super kind honest man go to Bruno's Bakery and Cafe or send him a thank you for me too! Amazing! Thanks Bruno!! See you on Thursday!"
In an email to BarrieToday, Michel expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped.
"Great ending to the story. I can't believe how helpful everyone has been," he said.
The honest baker doesn't think he's a hero.
"I don't know about that but I understand the sentimental value with those instruments to musicians. It's like children to parents, I guess."
