Guitarists in Kansas City Gather to Earn Place in Guinness World Book of Records

On Sunday, June 3, over 1,600 people played Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" on guitar in Kansas City, breaking a Guinness Book of World Record, reports the Kansas City Star.

Originally planned by morning show host Tanna Guthrie, for KYYS 99.7 FM, the event was organized in order to beat the record for the most people playing a song on the guitar simultaneously and to earn a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The previous record was held by a group of 1,322 people playing a song together in 1994 in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was not reported what song that group had played together.

The gathering was held at Community America Ballpark in Wyandotte County, according to the Kansas City Star. The weather was very agreeable for such a gathering and people came from all around the Kansas City metropolitan area and some from even further points. One man, John Cardona, 41, came from Hanford, Calif. He brought his Squire electric guitar, along with magic markers so other participants could sign it. He said, "It was the guitar I learned on...it was very dispensable on the way here, but very valuable to me now."

Also included in the crowd was Jake Storbeck, 5, along with his father Todd Storbeck and sister Sophie. Jake was one of the guitarists. Many of the spectators recorded the event on video cameras. Monitors on the field verified the playing of the song, which had a duration of five minutes, and throughout, the audience cheered and applauded, some swayed with the music.

There were many children as well as participants from the baby boomer era, the generation from which the song came and the height of its popularity.

The organizers of the event counted 1,683 participants, which was far more than an adequate number to beat the record and take a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. At about 15 minutes past noon the mass crowd of guitar players began playing "Smoke on the Water." They played along with the radio station's (99.7 FM KYYS) KY's Hippo House Band.