LONDON (Reuters) - One of Jimi Hendrix's favorite guitars, set alight on a London stage more than 40 years ago and thought to have been lost forever, is to be auctioned later this year.
The guitar, a 1965 Fender Stratocaster, was famously doused with lighter fuel and set alight by the rock legend during a one-off performance at London's Finsbury Astoria in March 1967.
Hendrix had to be rushed to hospital with minor burns to his hands after the stunt, and the guitar, slightly damaged along the neck and pickboard, was recovered by his staff.
It eventually ended up in the hands of his press officer, Tony Garland, who stored it in his parents' garage, where it remained until it was unearthed last year by Garland's nephew.
The guitar is among a range of rock memorabilia to be auctioned by the Fame Bureau in London on September 4th. It has an estimate of 500,000 pounds ($999,000). Other lots include The Doors frontman Jim Morrison's last notebook of poems.
"When Hendrix set this guitar alight it marked a watershed in live performance," said Ted Owen, director of acquisitions at the auction house.
"He raised the bar of what could be expected and paved the way for a series of imitations and pastiche that exist to this day."
Hendrix, who died in 1970, burnt two guitars on stage -- he repeated the stunt at a festival later in 1967 -- but the one to be auctioned is the only example that survives intact.
A previous auction of a Hendrix guitar, known as the Woodstock Stratocaster, fetched $1.8 million.
(Reporting by Luke Baker; Editing by Paul Casciato)
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)
That's one expensive blem!
:mrgreen:
All my life I wanted to be somebody. Now I see I should have been more specific.
Half-a-million quid for a guitar you can't even play!
I hope it's bought by some organisation like the Hard Rock Cafe, so's it'll be displayed for the public - rather than some private collector.
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
C'mon Vic...get it. You know you want it. What's a few quid to a man of your means? Go for it man.
This way, all of us can say, "Hey, I sorta kinda know this guy in an internet kinda way, that owns one of Jimi's guitars" :lol:
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
C'mon Vic...get it. You know you want it. What's a few quid to a man of your means? Go for it man.
This way, all of us can say, "Hey, I sorta kinda know this guy in an internet kinda way, that owns one of Jimi's guitars" :lol:
I'm about £499,999.99 short at the moment - any chance of a loan? Actually, it'd fit in nicely at that "Rock'n'Roll Heaven" place you were at last week, Matt......although if they had a Jimi Hendrix ride, I'd be seriously worried if "Fire" was playing at the start of the ride and some guy came round and doused the passengers with lighter fuel......
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Man, could you imagine owning something like that? The case to hold it/protect it would cost a bizillion quid/dollars. And isn't wierd that things like this always turn up in a garage buried underneath years of stuff? I think I'm going to open a global business. Garage Busters or something like that. We'll pay you a minimal fee. We get to go through your stuff in your attic and garage. We get to keep things you want to part with (and we are interested in) for a minimal cost.
Want to be my partner?
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
