Country singer Chris Young replaces man’s guitar after it was destroyed by airline: ‘I know what that feels like’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) – Country singer Chris Young stepped in to help a man whose guitar was destroyed while traveling.

Sam Hayes said he has flown a lot of times with his guitar with no problems, until his most recent flight.

United Airlines asked him to check his bag because there was no more space on the plane. He was hesitant, but they promised his guitar would be handled with care.

Unfortunately, the opposite happened.

“Somebody with an orange jumper that was working the tarmac came in holding the guitar in a case upside down with a thousand pieces in it,” Hayes said.

His beloved guitar – his livelihood – shattered beyond repair.

“Your heart drops. It’s part of what you do and who you are, and just you fall in love with these guitars, and they just become an extension of you,” Hayes said.

United Airlines told him that once he bought a new guitar, they would reimburse him, but that meant the money had to come out of his pocket first. He was struggling with what to do.

Hayes posted about the ordeal on social media, along with pictures of his shattered guitar.

Then his phone rang. It was Grammy-nominated country singer Chris Young.

“He said, ‘Do you want an Epiphone or a Gibson?’ And for those that don’t know, there’s a massive difference between the two price-wise. And I laughed, and he said, ‘No, I’m not kidding. Which one do you want?’” Hayes said.

Young, who had only met Hayes a handful of times in ing, told him he had a Gibson waiting for him at Carter Vintage Guitars. Something Hayes said he’d only dreamed of.

The store’s sales manager said he frequently sees guitars getting destroyed during airline travel.

“It’s a very common occurrence that guitars get smashed by airlines,” Sales Manager Henry Conlon said. “So, to have someone have that piece of them taken away is always hard to see. It was nice to be able to be a part of helping to make that right.”

It turns out Young stepped in because he had been in that very same situation.

“A long time ago, when I was living in Texas, I had my guitar broken on a flight. I know what that feels like, so I was just trying to help out a friend. In the country music industry, we try to take care of each other. I hope one day someone else will repay in kindness after hearing about this,” Young wrote in a statement to WSMV.

Hayes said he hopes airlines make a change, especially with so many musicians carrying instruments with them in and out of Nashville.

Meanwhile, he’s thankful for Young’s act of kindness.

“That just goes to show who Chris is and how he understands just the whole community and what music is to the folks that do it for a job and a dream chase,” Hayes said.

Young is known for his mega-hits like “I’m Comin’ Over,” “Losing Sleep” and “At the End of a Bar.” He’s had 11 songs hit No. 1 on the Billboard country charts.

WSMV reached out to United Airlines to ask them about the incident but hasn’t heard back.

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