The year has not been kind for Chris and Kathy Hoover. First, a 100-year-old pine tree fell on their house, completely demolishing it. They were not home at the time, thankfully.
That was April 6, during a storm that clocked in winds in excess of 90 mph in Cheyenne.
Homeowners insurance won't nearly cover the damage to the structure built in 1919. It’ll have to be rebuilt from the foundation up.
Well, at least Chris’ prized guitar survived the ordeal.
That’s what local news broadcasts and newspapers stated at the time. It was an innocent offhand comment that Hoover believes may have led to a break-in and theft of that same vintage 1977 Gibson Les Paul last week.
Hoover, a popular musician, is heartbroken over the loss of what he calls a family heirloom.
Les Paul guitars are prized for their craftsmanship and thick tonal sounds, and they have long been the guitar blues and rock musicians have turned to since the 1950s.
The 67-year-old has been on the forefront of the Cheyenne-Laramie music scene since the 1970s. He saved up for that guitar as a kid and bought it a month after it came out.
Now it’s gone and Hoover has to be wondering what he did to invite the crummy karma. If trouble comes in threes, he’s keeping his head down.
“It’s been a rough year for my parents. And this guitar, in particular, is irreplaceable and special beyond words,” said Chris’ son Brooks Hoover.
Six-Decade Music Career
Anyone who has spent any amount of time in the southeastern Wyoming music scene knows Chris Hoover. He’s the godfather of live gigging around the southern Cowboy State and for decades was never without his Les Paul.
Hoover launched his own band in the early 1970s. Aptly named Hoover and the Vacuums, the outfit featured Chris and three lovely ladies who could all sing and play.
The band became especially popular in the capital city area after winning the Kiwanis Club Stars of Tomorrow contest in 1974. Incidentally, one member of that group would go on to achieve another level of fame all her own.
Karen Morris, along with Mary Jo Bogus and Deidre Kilty, rounded out Hoover’s vacuums. Morris was named America's Junior Miss in 1974 and eventually landed an acting career that included a six-year stint on the soap “Ryan’s Hope.” Morris married Curt Gowdy Jr., son of hall of fame sportscaster Curt Gowdy, in 1979.
With a music career in mind, Hoover saved his pennies to purchase a new guitar in 1977. He even sold his beloved Telecaster so he could afford the $800 price tag.
“He wishes now he never sold that,” Brooks said.
Hoover bought the limited edition Gibson Les Paul Standard (Wine Red) in October of that year, a month after it came out. Only 550 were made. For him, it wasn’t something bound for the trophy case.
“He played that thing,” Brooks Hoover said. “There’s buckle rash on the backside of the body. He always played while wearing his huge belt buckle. The finish is worn smooth or completely off in many spots. We just got finished redoing the neck and the action is so low now it practically plays itself. It’s almost fretless at this point from all the playing.”
The nicks, the rubs, the wear — it all makes the guitar unique to Hoover even if it hurts the resale value. These particular models can fetch more than $3,500 today in mint condition. But it is not the monetary value Hoover is concerned about.
“My dad is heartbroken over this. It is one-of-a-kind. It is an heirloom piece. He would have never sold it,” Brooks Hoover said.
A close-up of the vintage 1977 Gibson Les Paul that was stolen from Cheyenne musician Chris Hoover. (Courtesy Photo) 
Chris Hoover talks with a Cheyenne police officer, left, about the theft of his vintage Gibson Les Paul guitar. (Courtesy Photo) 
Chris Hoover and his band, Hoover and the Vacuums, won the 1974 Kiwanis Stars of Tomorrow contest. (Cowboy State Daily Staff)
Break-In At The Hoover Home
The theft happened sometime last week. The family isn’t sure exactly when. Thieves broke into a locked rehearsal space in the basement of the condemned home. In addition to the Les Paul, other equipment was taken including a few bass guitars Hoover has been playing lately and percussion gear.
Did news reports of a “prized guitar, valued at $3,500” lead burglars directly to the Hoover home?
“You know, we kind of joked about that at the time. A friend of my dad’s actually called after that news story and told him he should lock that guitar away,” Brooks said.
Oddly, one clue surfaced recently quite by chance.
“My wife found a percussion bag in a dumpster across town 2 miles away where she works,” Brooks Hoover said. “She just happened to look down and there it was with everything still in it. How weird is that?”
Hoover speculated that the thieves found nothing of particular value in the bag so they trashed it. Police are following up on whether the area was under video surveillance.
The dumpster find also worries the Hoovers. They recognize the power of social media and the internet to make people aware of the guitar. Photos and the backstory are circulating in cyberspace.
That, in addition to a police investigation that relies heavily on making sure all local pawnbrokers are aware of the hot merchandise, could make it difficult for thieves to fence the stolen the property.
So difficult, they may panic and simply toss the vintage guitar in a dumpster as well. It would be a devastating end to an instrument that holds such emotional value for Chris.
“He’s done so much for the tiny Cheyenne-Laramie music scene. He practically started it, kept it going,” said Brooks Hoover. “He still plays out in multiple bands including Avenue with his wife.”
Other Swiped Six-Strings
For now, Hoover’s six-string joins a long list of stolen guitars, some from famed axe grinders that have never been recovered.
Eric Clapton's “Beano” was snatched from Cream’s rehearsal studio just days after the release of the group’s “Blues Breakers” album. The 1959-60 Gibson Les Paul Standard (Burst) was never seen again.
Famed guitarist Jeff Beck had the very same model swiped from him. Beck purchase his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard from Rick Nielsen for about $300 in 1968.
If Nielsen’s name sounds familiar, it should. He was a teenaged vintage guitar dealer before becoming the lead guitar player for Cheap Trick.
Paul McCartney’s Hamburg Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass was cheap but sentimental to him. He used that instrument on the Beatles’ first two albums before it was stolen in 1972. It was eventually returned to him 51 years later.
Too Hot To Handle
The Hoovers can only hope the bad juju has run its course and things will turn around.
A GoFundMe has been established for Chris and Kathy’s rebuild. Well-wishers packed the Post 6 American Legion not long ago to show their support during a show by Avenue.
Hoover continues to play out, using borrowed instruments. As time permits, the family reaches out to pawn shops in neighboring states Nebraska and Colorado.
Chris awaits the day he gets that phone call that tells him the guitar has been found. For now, the family relies in the power of today’s internet connectedness. The more word spreads, the hotter that guitar will get.
Jake Nichols can be reached at jake@cowboystatedaily.com.
