Prince, Elton John, Kurt Cobain Memorabilia Fetches $5 Million At Auction
An auction of music memorabilia related to icons like Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, Elton John and Prince has collectively raised an estimate $5 million.
The three-day ‘Music Icons’ lot, organized by US auction house, Julien’s Auctions, sold a series of signed six-strings, artist-played electric guitars, music memorabilia and some rare pieces of artwork.
Kur Cobain’s self-portrait caricature went for $281,250, far above the expected net of $10,000. In the portrait, Cobain is seen playing guitar and he signed the art piece “Kurdt Kobain Rock Star.”
Elsewhere, a blue Cloud guitar owned by Prince received a winning bid of $281,250, nearly five times its original estimate of $60,000. The guitar features a ‘Paisley Park’ inventory tag on the neck plate, a hard case with a laminated PRN Productions tag, and a pickup cavity signed by Prince’s former guitar tech, Zeke Clark, with the inscription: “Zeke for [love symbol] Prince.”
The guitar was also sold with printed receipts and a tag showing the guitar was flown to London on Northwest Airlines, and was ordered through the N.P.G. pop-up store in London on June 29, 1994. Another Prince Cloud model – a mid-90s era example built by Schecter – was also sold by Julien’s as part of the same lot for $50,000.
Meanwhile, a red Yamaha Elton John Signature Series C-1 Baby Grand Piano signed by John, along with a matching high-gloss red bench, sold for $150,000. The signed, handwritten lyrics by Bernie Taupin for John’s hit single Candle In The Wind sold for $76,800.
A black jersey and net bodysuit and matching black motorcycle jacket, which Cher wore in the music video for If I Could Turn Back Time sold for $115,200 at the auction.
A Ludwig drum kit custom designed by Alex Van Halen and played during Van Halen’s 1980 Invasion Tour was also sold for $230,400, compared to the initial estimate of $200,000-$300,000.