Big hearted rocker Zakk Wylde made a fan for life when he took a break from a signing session in a guitar shop to give a youngster the pick of the store!
'Uncle' Zakk was signing for fans at a music store in Saskatoon, Canada when he gave 12-year-old Tanner Brayshaw his choice of any guitar in the place.
Young Taylor was having a lesson in the store when Zakk noticed him playing. After playing a few notes on the boy's guitar, Zakk decided he needed a new one.
"When Taylor looked up his eyes just about fell out of his head and his teacher almost passed out," laughs store manager Pete Woronowski. "He said 'You come with Uncle Zakk and you go pick any guitar you want on the wall and your Uncle Zakk will buy it for you.' This guy has a heart the size of the city!"
Taylor picked out a red Gibson SG. At $600 (around £300) it was far from the most expensive axe in the woodshed, but it was the one he wanted.
"It's red, my favourite colour," he said. "I really didn't want to pick the most expensive guitar because I thought that would be pretty rude! It feels great. It's nice and smooth and has good action."
"It was pretty mind-blowing," said drum manager Arnold Nagy. "You don't expect this huge guy with chains and a beard to be as nice as he was to a kid."
Naturally Uncle Zakk autographed the guitar, and also provided four tickets and VIP passes to the Ozzy Osbourne concert the next night.
Zakk said, "You've still gotta listen to music with a 14-year-old's ears. Remembering when you were like, 'dude, we're going to see Zeppelin this weekend!' That's what it's all about, man. If what I do inspires some kid to pick up a guitar and jam, that's the shit, without a doubt."
Taylor, who was on only his fourth lesson, says he'll keep it up. "He's like my idol now. I just want to be like Zakk. He treated me like gold and he treated my family like gold."
