A Sterling Morrison-owned leather guitar strap, used by the Velvet Underground guitarist after that band’s breakup.

Morrison is pictured using a virtually identical strap on the back cover of The Velvet Underground’s debut album and in other live photographs, however this strap has a barely discernable stamp from Rockin’ Robin Guitars & Music, a Houston music store that opened in 1972, dating it from after the band’s breakup.

Wikipedia notes that in 1971 Morrison began graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where he would earn a PhD in medieval literature. Morrison’s last performance with the Velvets was on August 21, 1971, at Liberty Hall in Houston. When it was time for the band to return to New York, Morrison packed an empty suitcase and accompanied them to the gate of their departing plane, before finally telling them he was staying in Texas and leaving the band, the last founding member to quit.

We obtained this strap directly from Sterling Morrison’s widow, Martha Morrison. Her accompanying letter of authenticity notes this is a “leather guitar strap, owned and used by my late husband, Sterling Morrison” and “This was part of Sterling’s extensive
collection of Velvet Underground memorabilia.”

53 ½” x 2” at the widest point. In good used condition.

With Martha Morrison’s letter of authenticity, and Recordmecca’s written lifetime guarantee of authenticity.