Last Living Kalamazoo Gal Who Built Gibson Guitars, 103 Irene Stearns, Being Honored

There was once a time in Kalamazoo‘s history that for many years lived in a shadow which has now long since been celebrated. During World War II women in Kalamazoo were personally responsible for building tens of thousands of Gibson guitars.

This was something that the Gibson guitar company kept under wraps for many years, but is now celebrated and the fondly remembered Kalamazoo Gals were a very special story in the city's history. Now, on January 29 at Bell's the city will once again celebrate the Kalamazoo gals and the last living member of them, who is almost 103 years old.

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Her name is Irene Stearns, and there will be a special event held in her honor, and you will be able to hear about the story of how women played a crucial role in making sure that these guitars remained regularly manufactured during the war:

Sounds of the Zoo Fundraiser” that will honor the life of Irene Stearns, the last surviving Kalamazoo Gal who will turn 103 on January 30, and the contributions of all the Gals. The celebration will take place on January 29, to celebrate Irene Stearns Day at Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo.

They also detailed what can be expected during this fundraiser:

We will be showcasing the 2022 celebration video of Irene Stearns 100th birthday, feature live music performances, and have John Thomas as one of our special guests.

This was all spearhead by the founder of Sounds of the Zoo, Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert, who has long since recognized that Kalamazoo was once a main destination for musicians and has a strong desire to get that back. All the information about this special event can be seen here, and tickets are still available.

There's currently a short and full-length documentary in the works about the Kalamazoo Gals.