Chris Young Plays Hero to Singer With Smashed Guitar

Chris Young is like country music Batman, hiding in the dark shadows until evil villains (airlines) strike innocent victims (guitar players).

It's then the hitmaker whooshes in and delivers justice before disappearing into the darkness once again.

Too much?

That's how the story played out for Sam Hayes, a Nashville based singer and songwriter who was promised his guitar would be taken good care of.

Spoiler alert: It was not taken good care of.

When Hayes was reunited with his instrument after his flight, he found a bag full of kindling instead. But the Dark Knight was there to help.

OK, here's what happened, sans all the theater: United Airlines told Hayes that the overhead bins were full, so he'd have to gate check his guitar. Talking to WSMV-TV in Nashville, he said he didn't want to do it, but had little choice.

Afterward, agents told him they'd reimburse him for his guitar, but he'd have to front the money for a new one.

Apparently, United knows nothing about what it means to be a struggling musician in Nashville.

That's when Young stepped up. He'd met Hayes a few times and called with a pretty simple question: Epiphone or Gibson?

“A long time ago, when I was living in Texas, I had my guitar broken on a flight," Young told the TV station. "I know what that feels like, so I was just trying to help out a friend."

A replacement guitar was paid for and waiting for Hayes at Carter Vintage Guitars, giving the story a happy ending.

The villain was not vanquished completely: No, others will surely feel the bite in the years to come, but through Hayes, a few more country singers and guitarists now know a song pickers have been singing for 15 years: United Breaks Guitars.