Guitar Guinness World Record 2013: Jennifer Batten, John Corabi and Bruce Kulick in Wrocław

1 MAY 2013

Jennifer Batten, Michael Jackson's guitarist; John Corabi, Mötley Crüe's singer and guitarist; Bruce Kulick, KISS guitarist; Beasto Blanco, Alice Cooper's guitarists; and several thousand guitarists will appear at this year's Guinness Guitar Record. The event traditionally takes place on 1 May in Wrocław's Market Square.

Wrocław’s first edition took place in 2003 with 588 guitarists. In 2012, Hey Joe rang out on 7,273 guitars. Television stations worldwide show the record attempt annually, including Al Jazeera, RTL and CNN. The Market Square performance has also appeared on television in the United States, Australia, the Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, Korea and most European countries. Broadcasts in Japan and Iran attracted the greatest viewer interest.

One star of this year’s Guitar Guinness World Record will be Michael Jackson’s guitarist Jennifer Batten. This hugely charismatic artist joined his band for the Bad tour in 1987 and remained until 2009. She is considered a contributor to the King of Pop’s stage success. John Corabi, Mötley Crüe’s lead singer and guitarist from 1992–97, will also visit Wrocław this year. Rolling Stone wrote: “Corabi can sing any lyric so convincingly that it sounds as though it comes from the depths of his heart.”

Bruce Kulick will also join the guitarists attempting to break the Guinness Record. In the 1970s, he helped shape Meat Loaf's band and founded Blackjack, whose singer was Michael Bolton, then still performing under his real name, Michael Bolotin. His twelve-year collaboration with KISS (1984–1996) produced a series of gold and platinum albums and world tours.

The invited guests will also include Beasto Blanco. Formed in 2012, the project brings together 3 musical icons who have worked with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Simple Plan and Iron Maiden, among others. Alice Cooper said of Beasto Blanco’s singer: “Chuck Garric is one of those mysterious, elusive personalities who always do extraordinary things. And, as befits a man of many talents, he has created a project that blew me away.”

The Guitar Guinness Record stage will also welcome the Jimi Hendrix of the balalaika, Alexey Arkhipovsky. On his three-string folk instrument, he plays classics from both classical music and rock, and his concerts are a display of virtuosity and wit. This year, guitarists will also be able to enjoy two extraordinary guitar feasts. The first is Fiesta Flamenco, featuring performances by Danza del Fuego and Ritmo Emoción, who will transport the audience into a world of vibrant Latin sounds.

Immediately afterwards comes Fingerstyle Night, featuring American master Preston Reed and Piotr Restecki, known from a Polish talent show. Polish guitarists will also be represented by Wojciech Pilichowski (funk bass), Partyzant (two-handed tapping), Wojciech Hoffmann of TURBO (rock), Krzysztof Pełech (classical guitar), Krzysztof Misiak (jazz-rock), Mietek Jurecki, formerly of Budka Suflera (rock bass), Bartek Miarka (blues), musicians from Oddział Zamknięty and the event’s originator, Leszek Cichoński.