NASHVILLE, TN (Sony
Music Nashville) - Columbia Nashville Recording artist and
Texas native Trent Willmon created a one-of-a-kind hand-crafted leather and cowhide covered Fender Stratocaster guitar and is donating it to Country
Music Television's (CMT) "One Country" charity auction. The autographed, aptly-named 'Cattlecaster' will be auctioned on https://www.cmtauctions.com (under the "One Country" banner) from October 21 through October 31. The high bidder chooses between selected CMT "One Country" supported charities to decide who will receive the money.
After selecting the Fender Stratocaster body, Trent found a brown cowhide in a Ft. Worth, Texas, shop prior to performing a show at Billy Bob's Texas. He used his tour bus as a make-shift workshop to tool the leather pick guard and headstock cover, both sporting a leaf pattern and his trademark branding initials. The volume knob is actually a steer horn trimmed to size. Trent has been using the "Cattlecaster" onstage during concerts since he completed the build two months ago.
The decision to donate the guitar to charity came after Trent saw the destruction left by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. CMT's "One Country" pro-social initiative was the perfect vehicle for him to help those people in need. The program is designed to promote civic participation and inspire CMT viewers to take action and bring about important change in their communities - exactly the steps Trent is taking by donating his customized Stratocaster.
Trent picked up this art by watching the local men in his hometown of Afton, Texas and, later, a brief stint in luthiers school at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. He's quick to point out that he's no master at this art, but he's certainly a quick study and has talent. Over the past five years, he's built two guitars, a gun-shaped barbeque smoker, a boat, leather chaps, hunting knives and other items.
Being a talented craftsman takes second seat to his passion for music though. With the release of his self-titled debut album last year, country music fans were introduced to this singer/ songwriter through songs like "Beer Man," "Dixie Rose Deluxe's" and "The Good Life." His autobiographical "Home Sweet Holiday Inn," written for his daughter, was picked up this summer by the American staple hotel chain Holiday Inn and used in their national television ad campaign which will air through this month. His busy tour schedule has allowed him to perform all across the country and he is currently working on his sophomore album due in stores in 2006.
