“I play an old piano from nine till a half past one / Tryin’ to make a livin’ watchin’ everybody have fun,” infamous rock ‘n’ roll artist Elvis Presley sang in “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.”
The piano wasn’t the only thing Presley had mastered during his absolutely explosive musical career. He could play the guitar and bass, but would also bass around with the drums, accordion, and ukelele. Not to mention he had a stage presence that quite literally changed the course of music history.
Although he couldn’t read or write music, seeing as he never had formal training, he had the ear of a superstar.
He had that ability to just pick up an instrument and start playing.
Elvis Presley Piano Available at Auction
Now, one of the pianos in which Elvis Presley’s hands danced across elegantly is up for sale in an auction. Not only that but it’s known as the piano that “started rock ‘n’ roll” as well. It was used by what was dubbed the “Million Dollar Quartet.” This was a jam session that consisted of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.
The piano was a jam session sent down by the rock ‘n’ roll gods back in 1956. It also gifted us with musical treasures like “Love Me Tender,” “Paralyzed,” and “Don’t Be Cruel.”
According to Gotta Have Rock and Roll, this is actually the very first time that the piano is being sold. This means someone could now have one of the most important instruments in music history in their home one day.
It has a starting bid of $700,000. It is expected to bring in over a million when the auction rolls around.
“Offered here for the first time ever, is the iconic ‘Million Dollar Quartet Piano’ – the Sun Records’ studio piano – a vintage 1949 Wurlitzer spinet with serial number 387912 that was played by a stellar rock and roll list of ‘who’s who’ including Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner, Phineas Newborn, Jr., Charlie Rich and many more,” the description on the site reads.
Imagine tickling the ivories just like Charlie Rich or Elvis Presley did close to 70 years ago.
Historical Instruments
This piano was purchased by Sam Philips, who was the owner of the Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records. He got it from the O.K. Houck piano store right near the recording studio. It was actually the same store that Presley and his family bought their first piano as well as the singer’s first Martin guitar.
That store would also sell instruments to Cash, B.B. King, and Bill Black. I can only imagine the kind of marketing campaign they could have nowadays with that kind of historical track record.
This isn’t the first time a piece of Elvis Presley history has gone on the market. For example, according to CNN, the iconic guitar from The King of Rock and Roll’s 1968 “Comeback Special” was sold at the Kruse GWS Auctions in March. It was a gorgeous red Hagstrom Viking II guitar that was there as Presley re-launched his musical career after devoting most of his past seven years to his movie career.
The starting bid on it was $250,000.
