HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – After the passing of local music legend Gayle Moseley in October, Music Central in Hopkinsville received his large, mint-condition guitar and amplifier collection. Music Central now plans to put all proceeds from the sale back into the community to allow Moseley’s musical influence to live on.

“I just want everyone to get together and hear his stories,” said LJ Granstaff, an employee at Music Central. “I want people to pick and do some jamming in his name.”

The organizations Moseley set out in his will include local Hospice, Jenny Stuart Health, Christian County Humane Society, and St. Luke’s of Hopkinsville.

“One part of his estate was his extensive collection of guitars and amplifiers,” said Tim Murphy, a friend of Moseley’s for 40 years and executor of his estate. “So, naturally the first people I thought about was Music Central. They were all good friends and worked on his instruments and knew him personally.”

Gayle Moseley’s legacy

Moseley was a Hopkinsville native who made a name for himself by perfecting the thumbpicking style of playing guitar. Since the ’60s, he’s been playing with different artists and bands in the area before finding his niche with Merle Travis’ thumbpicking style.

If done correctly, thumbpicking sounds like multiple guitars playing at the same time. This skillful maneuvering of guitar strings is thought to have originated with Black blues musicians, and over time, locals in Kentucky incorporated their own flair. In 2011, Moseley’s success earned him a place in the Thumbpicking Hall of Fame and is locally known as a pioneer of the style.

About Music Central

“We sell everything from piccolos, to pianos, to drum sets, to guitars,” said the owner and president of Music Central, Bryon Lee. The store has been in Hopkinsville since 1987, and Lee purchased the business with Jason Killebrew in 2014. They have aimed to continue being a full-service music store for Christian County and surrounding areas.

The collection includes over 65 guitars and amplifiers. The vintage and custom guitars he owned are sought after by collectors, and some items are worth up to $10,000. Big music names in Nashville and friends of Moseley are already itching to get their hands on their favorite pieces.

“We’ve had a very, very, very large amount of interest in it so far,” Lee told Chrisitan County Now. “The majority of it I think will go pretty quickly.”

Aside from raising money, friends of Moseley and employees of the store are hoping the sale gives them the opportunity to bring people together. “He was as humble as they come. … I miss him greatly and I love him to death. I just want to honor him.”

The sale begins on Jan. 22 at Music Central, 1811 E. Ninth St. A full list of what they will be selling can be found on the Music Central Facebook page.

BUSINESS OWNERS: Click here for a free marketing and branding consultation for your business