Returning an All Original 1967  

I'm Michael, the guy in the video. During my drive home I had a great deal of time to think. Actually, what the video doesn't show is Mr Raymond shared with me he lost his granddaughter last year in a car accident and he had written a song for her. I asked him if he wouldn't mind playing it for me and he did. It was BEAUTIFUL. During the 2.5 hours that I spent with them playing and singing a train happened to roll-by during the song and even blew its whistle. I couldn't believe it! Of all times to interrupt us it had to be on THIS song!!! Well, little did I know there was much more to the story. When I returned home and shared with my family how this train lumbered through the song at the most inopportune time I jumped up, grabbed my phone and rewatched the video. What I found was the train came lumbering through the song beginning at time stamp 3:17. I then immediately texted Josh and asked him if there's any significance with the numbers 3:17. He said no and wasn't following my train of thought- no pun intended. I then rephrased the question and asked him if March 17 meant anything to the family. I couldn't believe when he responded back to me that it was significant to them. It's Mady's birthday- the sister that had passed last year. Now I KNEW this is why I'm involved. God and Mady chose me to be the one to return that guitar back to her grandaddy, the very guitar he used to write that song. Mady, I believe, was the one who made the train roll-by to signal to her grandaddy that she LOVES the song and that she is still with him. I'm hopeful that she was also signaling to me for a job well done. Don't get me wrong here- I give GOD ALL THE CREDIT here because I know I would have come up with a thousand reasons to not get involved. I called Jeremy yesterday and told him of my intentions that the guitar is now there's- FOREVER. My job is done and this is how the story ends. If you are interested in hearing Mady's song you can listen around 3:17 to hear the train begin coming through. I have the link to the song over in the GoFundMe page down in the bottom of the story. You don't need to donate anything but you should hear the song to understand the real reason "why" and how any of this actually happened. God Bless you all. Here's the link gf.me/u/y8663x

I sobbed like a baby 😭😭 if people would just turn off the news they would see how wonderful this world is!!! God bless you guys for doing this❤️

It is so beautiful to see the grandfather and grandson play and sing together!

What a heartwarming story, I needed a touch of humanity this year

When Mike was reading his letter to Raymond I got a little choked up…it’s so nice to know there are good folks out there still.

I hope Joshua and his grandpa make music for years to come. What a great story!

That's what it's all about. I picked up a guitar 2 years ago for the first time at 42 years old... I can see the hold these instruments have in me already... best of luck Mr R, best wishes from Ireland

A much-needed feel good story for these times.

I'm not crying. You're crying... 😂

Now this is how you honor a man. The old man was so selfless, and it all came back around to him. What a great story, and I’m happy to see this happen. Just proves that a guitar - music, is much more than just an instrument. It’s an extension of the human spirit.

This is the world I want to live in! Just bought a 45 yr old Martin from a respected dealer. I was all happy and excited and, that night before bed, a random thought popped into my head. "What if the original owner saw your new guitar and was deserving of having it again. What would you do?" Then I randomly come across this video. Wow, I think I got my answer.

This is what it’s all about. Not money not greed but humility and generosity. If the world was more like this it would be a much better place. Good for you Mike!

That kid was like a raging fire on that mandolin my goodness.

This made me tear up, and I'm not a weapy person! What a wonderful gift! What a great and generous man.

What a lucky man that granpa is to have a grandson to play the old songs with...and three more at home. He is actually a very rich man.

All of us guitarists, especially in Martin families - can't really express to muggles how much this means. Thank you guys!

Watching that boy harmonize with his grandpa brings a few tears.

I'm late to the party here but these acts of kindness come around every so often via the RU-vid algorithms. Bet that kid has gotten a lot better with his D35, he'll be jamming with Billy Strings one of these days. Not sure if there's an update to this, but in any event, best wishes to Grandpa, Jeremey, and the titleholder.

WOW! OMG! Mind Blown. Best RU-vid I've ever watched. Legend in the making, super talented kid. Heart touching story. Making this world a better place. God Bless/ Blessing God! AWESOME!

What a fantastic and heartfelt display of true awesome people. Hope some day Joshua inherits that D-28 and holds it near and dear to him. Love his love for bluegrass.

This is a true heartwarming and plain good beautiful action!! It came back to the man who really deserves this gift - his beloved Martin D-28. Do we love good bluegrass? Yes we do! That young man Joshua and his Grandfather really made some GREAT picking and singing!! Love this!!!

What a story; Selflessness, generosity and pure kindness. Mr Raymond and Mr Mike thank you.

In this fu***d up world we live in, after a pandemic and now a war, hearing this beautiful story and seeing this little kid playing bluegrass with his grandpa makes you think there is still hope after all ...

This video is the reason I love guitars and music so VERY much. Music connects us in a way that few other things can even approach. Man alive! I sure do love guitars and the people that they bring together.

wow He drove all that way straight through to give him back that guitar,amzing story Mike you are a Saint Sir

What a touching story and a Super Great Guy!!! There is still great people in this Country!!

Raymond's grandson is the next Ricky Skaggs. What an incredible legacy his granddaddy is leaving him, sharing a love of bluegrass played & sung together. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Lads...wow! The genuine generosity followed by genuine gratitude between those two men was fantastic. That's the way people should treat each other. That certainly warmed my heart and brought me to tears of joy. It's so refreshing to see goodness in the world...and what a lesson to impart upon Joshua. Thank all of you for bringing this joy to me today. Love and respect.

I love this story. I've watched both videos multiple times

Dunno how I’ve never seen this. What an honour to watch. Thank you all. It’s totally ironic that I really want a D28 😂

Beautiful work yall. Lost my grandfather, and was given his old acoustic. Everytime I play it, I am instantly reminded of him, and the gift of his presence in my life.

Wow...Mike is an awesome person! Note to Joshua: the playing of you and your grandfather in this video is the type of content we want to see on your channel.

This segment made my day. I’ve played guitar since I was 10 years old and I’m 74 years old now. I’ve given all of my grandkids guitars. Sadly none of them really became pickers, however I have a new great grandson and so I just gave him his first guitar so we’ll see how that works out. However to see this guitar and the selflessness of this grandpa Raymond and knowing this tradition will carry on in this family brings me great Joy and it shows the world that we hillbillies from the hills of West Virginia, and Virginia and the roads and byways of Connecticut are the same good people in every way that counts. God bless this family and God bless their Connecticut Yankee benefactor for taking the guitar refinishing it, putting it back in great shape and giving it back, it doesn’t get any better than that.

This is such a great example of how people are so good. Mike, well done and God bless you. Jeremy, you're an angel dude.

What a kind thing to do. Wonderful. 👏👏👏

That man is a true romantic, even in regards to other men. I don’t mean that in the way, you’d think. I just mean, this man knows how to really pull on a heart-string with his words and actions. Bravo, I’m almost left speechless.

What a good deed to let the original owner borrow the 67 Martin until he retires from playing. Very cool of him to allow that.

I was born and raised in Connecticut in 1956. Finally, a reason to be proud to be a Nutmegger.

We all need to witness kindness like this in our lives, to keep us humble.

Love it when someone revives a classic guitar.

Dang it. I can't cry I AM METAL HEAD NOOOOO... I know how it feels to not have guitars that meant so much. My first guitar was handed to me by my dad. My first electric was bought by my dad for christmas for me. My first really good guitar that I fell in love with and the next 2 or 3 were all pawned off for drugs or smashed in a fight with my father over the things I was doing. I'm about to turn 36 with 3 children of my own. I can't believe how much pain and regret one can take on in life when you travel the wrong path. I would not be the man I am today if I had not been through all the awful experiences but I really miss those guitars. Thank you for returning that guitar. It almost heals me just watching. Keep doing this it's such a wonderful idea.

Well hell, I’m a big strong macho kind of man but that made me tear up. What a great thing to do for your fellow man. Cheers to Mike, bless you...

As I wipe away the tears from these 54 year old eyes, this is a true testament to the fact that there are still some amazing people amongst us all. God bless all in this video and please keep the videos coming.

Saw an ad on Craigslist of a RU-vidr near me selling a Gibson acoustic. Decided to try to find a review of that guitar on this channel and found this video. Absolutely magical.

It’s Monday morning, before I start the work week I stumble across this. Just incredible.

Best thing to happen in this miserable year 2020, god bless y'all...there is still some good people in the USA....

Love this story, my husband and I both cried. Hope Joshua and his Grandad play music together for a long time!

As cool as it is to see the guitar reunion with the owner, what gets me is the family bond and passing on of tradition from grandpa to grandson. I get a lot of enjoyment out of watching that. I miss my dad rip.

What a story. The world is such a weird place at the moment. I myself have struggled with all of the negativity. Stories like this are what puts a smile on people's faces. Thanks Jeremy for sharing this story with us.

Im learning electric bass , and now gonna play some bluegrass too ! , What fun .

Beautiful. A small light can dispel lot of darkness.

...it is a beautiful act to give away a Martin guitar,...what a noble deed !

This should break the internet today. Awesome. All good people.

The vocals remind me of my childhood.

.... I'm crying .... breaks my heart .... so humble and lovingly ....

Dang y’all making me cry at work while watching this. This is awesome.

I'm only just watching this and it's absolutely beautiful moment that will last forever, history and family and new friends forever etched in music and a beautiful guitar

I have to say it like this; Proverbs 25;25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. WOW! What a wonderful thing to do! Made my heart smile! God bless you all! 😊

God bless you all, Jeremy.💜🧡💚❤💙💛

The mountains of West Virginia is my second home of my soul. To see this type of kindness with this incredible guitar returned to the original owner who is still playing music with his grandson's is very special. There is still hope for humanity in this world ! God Bless You all !

God Bless you is an understatement. What an amazing man.. that’s a stand up class act in all aspects. I’m going home to play my dads d-28…

I cried and had seen the prior videos but hadn't seen this one ... So today I said its time to change the strings on my GS Mini and You tube recommended me this video . Clicked it and started working and watching. This is a great Story May God Bless you Jeremy ... You and the Gentleman are Soul . God Bless you all the kid is a future star to me and very lucky to have had Grandpa who inspired him I bet....Cheers ....

What a wonderful gesture.It`s plane to see that you made that gentleman`s day, and boy can he play.

This truly made me cry. Whenever he started reading the letter the tears started flowing. What an amazing story. Wow. Some people will never understand the true meaning of this.

If we had more people like this in the world, it would be a great place. This just proves there are still good people. Great video.

Everyone that watched or watched this vid, should feel real good about the importance of tradition family and the story or stories that are derived as such. Good job on capturing that.

Inspiring. Especially now in March 2022. I needed that this morning.

Okay, I’ve just been genuinely moved by this video. Fantastic all around! Your message about rescuing guitars is a current theme for me. I’ve become the caretaker of a 1970’s D35 from the estate of my best friend. It was always his intention to leave in the hands of someone who’ll play it. I’m humbled to have this beautiful instrument in my care and when the time comes, I intend to see it into the hands of another player who sees it for the wonderful sounding instrument it is. Thanks for the good news story.

Thank You for restoring Hope in Humanity. This was beautiful to watch and I felt it as if I were standing there with you all. God's blessings to you all.

Very cool of you, Jeremy!!

Simply amazing. Thank You All.

Jeremy thanks 68 YR old man going to work with tears in my eyes!!! What a story!!!

Jeepers guys what an awesome venture you all have set out on. Thank you Jeremy and Mike for being awesome human beings. You truly brightened my week. Music is about bringing the best out in people and you guys are living proof of the that.

This needs to go viral and end up on every news channel!!

Can we talk about Joshua's high harmonies? That kid is amazing!

You and MIke are great humanitarians.

This is the best video I have ever watched on the tube. Brought me to tears and so happy with this ending. All of you are stand up men. Much love to all…

Yaknow, I walked away to make handle the kids while watching your Friday Live Show (1/14/2022) and this video auto-played next up after the show ended. I sat here and watched through the entire thing like it was the first time watching it on the edge of tears the entire time because I knew what was coming and how emotional it was. This is video a PRIME example of what you do Jeremey and all you've created. Keep doing what you do buddy!!!

I love everything about about this... Michael...you Sir are a true Gentleman. And kids.... This is what being a REAL musician, and Man, is all about. God bless you all, and a huge thanks to Jeremy for sharing the story with all of us.

Hey Jeremy! I loved this video. Goes to show that good guitars make long lasting friendships and even awesome memories. I currently own a Gibson J35 reissued, where i snowaballed my way up from by Taylor gs mini and baby taylor. I plan to keep this as an heirloom and someday hand it over to my son.

I loved this channel, but this story... this needs to be told, and told, and told again. The world needs more of this.

Durnit.....you guys gone and made me cry during my lunch break. In front of the guys. This was amazto watch. You are in good company!

This is so amazing. Guitars of good old simpler times have this effect on people where they bring the best out of them, musically and humanly.

This kid is gonna be so thankful for you once he grows up and gets smart enough to realize Gramps' guitar was leaps and bounds ahead of that D35.

Joshua sounds like that line they said about Scott Avett-- like he swallowed an amplifier! What a great kid and great grandpa. I also truly appreciate that Jeremy kinda sat back and let them take the lead in the playing... amazing stuff.

It's so awesome to see a 14-year-old stay so focused and not give in to peer pressure from his age group. Great player !!!

For a moment I was gone cry man it's really touched my in the soul. Thanks for sharing the story big love.

I am not crying ...I swear ❤ Amazing continuation to a lifelong musical journey

One of your best stories and what a gesture on Mikes part to let this kind fellow have back his pride and joy. And hats off to you Jeremy to make it all happen.God bless you both.🙏🙏🙏🎸👍

Now that's really special. Words cannot describe the joy of such a selfless act. Very Special Men.

Bonjour from France, I love your video and that great story. CONGRATULATION on making live music live . Merci.

don't tell anyone I wrote this here, 😉 I thought I was a tough guy but you make my eyes wet humanity needs more guys like you👍

Holy smokes Jeremy, best freaking video I've ever watched, I mean that! Sharing this like crazy, this is a story that has to be heard by everyone these days! I am so glad this is documented FOREVER!

You know how life moves along quick and you miss so much. Well this Grandpa and grandson have obviously spent much time with music together. How I ran into this utube must have been a divine appointment!!!! Everyone involved did the right thing. Awesome gentlemen.....it felt like a taste of heaven. Thanku

That kid is so talented.

That was one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen on RU-vid!

Love this storey, i've recently been reunited with my old 1967 D28 after 13 years apart. managed to buy it back from the guy i sold it to for the price i sold it to him. Theres a lot of love out there.Keep the faith. Rev

Jeremy, so great how you, through your channel, connected these folks and told a story I think many people at this time need to hear. There are so many good people out there.

There is humanity still left in this world. Thank you for sharing this story. Nice to see it wrap like this. BigLike#36

Every guitar player wipes away a heart warming tear from the corner of his eye. Thank you for that.