Items belonging to some of the world’s most iconic music stars are available for purchase starting this week. Over 900 artifacts belonging to musicians including Eric Clapton, Elvis Presley, Madonna, and more are hitting the auction block.
Bidding will begin on Friday, November 19 through Saturday, November 20 live at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York as well as online as part of the auction house’s annual “Icons & Idols, Rock ‘N’ Roll” music sale.
You Could Own A Guitar Played by Eric Clapton
At the top of this list is one of Clapton’s acoustic guitars. The guitar’s presale estimate is between $300,000 and $500,000 according to Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions.
Clapton played the guitar live at Derek and The Dominos at the Lyceum Theater in London in the 1970s. According to Julien’s Auctions, he also played this guitar in his previous groups including The Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and Cream and Blind Faith.
In 1976, Clapton gifted the guitar to longtime friend and fellow musician Dave Edmunds. Clapton gave Edmunds the Martin guitar because he couldn’t find the Gibson J-200 he originally planned to give him.
Auction Items from Presley, Madonna, and More
Auction items include a guitar played by none other than Elvis Presley himself. The acoustic guitar is a 1972 Martin D-28 that Presley performed with on-stage. Eventually, Presley gifted the precious instrument to Norman Taurog, who directed many of his films. The guitar has a presale estimate of up to $90,000.
Additional items include a suit worn by Madonna in the movie Evita valued at upwards of $12,000 as well as dresses from music mavens Amy Winehouse and Katy Perry.
Items that belonged to members of the legendary American rock band Nirvana will also be included in the once-in-a-lifetime sale.
“We have a teenage photograph of Kurt Cobain, very rare you see a photograph of Kurt Cobain so young, tickets for concerts. Anything from Kurt Cobain is highly sought after,” Nolan confirmed.
Featuring Nearly 1,000 Items
The sale will feature nearly 1,000 treasured keepsakes and memorabilia owned by some of the most famous people in the world. This includes icons such as The Beatles, Guns N’ Roses, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Elvis Presley.
“The breadth and scope of these museum-worthy collectibles represent not only the pinnacle of these legendary figures’ careers and their mythic performances but the impact of their artistry and the lives they lived on and off the stage that changed not only music but the world,” Darren Julien, president and chief executive officer of Julien’s Auctions, said in a statement.
Highlights of the sale are on public exhibition at Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square from Nov. 15-19.
