![]() ![]() At the branch in Washington, DC, for instance, diners can look at a Yamaha acoustic guitar once owned by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, another acoustic guitar played by Seal, a white National Newport guitar owned by Bob Dylan (that featured on the cover of a 1979 edition of Rolling Stone magazine) and a Yamaha saxophone that was famously played by President Bill Clinton at one of his inaugurals balls in January 1993. ![]() Of course, while the menu at every Hard Rock Café may be the same, the memorabilia is different. American rocker Lenny Kravitz also donated a guitar - in his case a Gibson Flying V. The two guitars are still on display at the London restaurant, along with a black knitted shawl once owned by Janis Joplin, a drum-kit once whacked by Hendrix's drummer Mitch Mitchell and a Fender bass guitar played by U2's Adam Clayton. It was a Gibson Les Paul that was also unsigned, but it bore a handwritten note that read: "Mine's as good as his! Love, Pete." Less than a week after Clapton's gift, The Who's Pete Townshend donated one of his guitars. Shortly afterwards he handed over the unsigned instrument. They responded, jokingly, that he ought to donate something to them instead. The story goes that one evening he asked them whether they intended to put a brass plaque on the wall in his honour. Clapton was a regular at the restaurant and a friend of the owners. Apparently the first piece of memorabilia was a Fender Lead II guitar donated by Eric Clapton. Things really started to change in 1979, when, in addition to entertaining customers with a rock'n'roll soundtrack, the pair started collecting music memorabilia and exhibiting it on the walls of their restaurant. "It is also an opportunity for the Seminole tribe to diversify its business operations and help a very successful company to achieve even greater growth." "This is a proud moment for the Seminole tribe of Florida and for all Indian tribes," Mitchell Cypress, chairman of the elected tribal council, told reporters yesterday morning. (Across the US, gambling is worth an estimated $22bn to various Indian tribes every year.) More than 90 per cent of the tribe's income comes from gaming revenues. They already own two Hard Rock Hotels, and operate five other casinos in Florida. Indeed, in 1979 they were the first such group to receive a federal licence that allowed them to open a casino and bingo hall. Like many American Indian tribes, the Fort Lauderdale-based Seminoles are already involved heavily in the hotel and casino business. First up it's worth pointing out that the deal between the Indian tribe and Rank appears to be based on purely business reasoning, rather than the Seminole's love of the Hard Rock Café's chicken wings or pulled-pork sandwiches. ![]()
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