DALLAS, TX.- Guitars that were owned, and in some cases also played, by the legendary Graham Nash, and Tupac Shakurs prison identification card were among the top attractions as
Heritage Auctions Entertainment & Music Memorabilia auction totaled $1,934,237 July 20-21 in Dallas, Texas.
Guitars owned and/or played by Nash accounted for 13 of the top 15 lots in the sale.
Graham Nash is one of the greatest rock n roll guitarists of all time, and any instrument he played has immediate appeal to serious collectors, Heritage Auctions Entertainment & Music Memorabilia Director Garry Shrum said. But he also is a lifelong student of music and great musicians, so the fact that he recognizes and appreciates the greatness of other artists whose guitars he collected only adds to their inherent value.
Some of the top guitars owned by Nash included:
Duane Allman's Circa 1961/1962 Gibson SG, Cherry, Solid Body Electric Guitar, Serial #15263 Owned and Played by Graham Nash, which Nash played after he acquired it, sparked a flurry of competitive bidding until it claimed top-lot honors when it sold for $591,000, more than twice its pre-auction estimate. The guitar is the best known instrument Allman played on the live recording of Statesboro Blues, the opening track of At Fillmore East. After Allman died in 1971, the guitar was given to one of his students, Gerry Groom, who sold it to a music store, the owner of which called Nash; it was the first guitar Nash acquired when he started his collection of other musicians guitars.
Arguably the most historically famous instrument in the collection, Graham Nash's Woodstock 1969 Martin D-45 Acoustic Guitar, Serial # 249131 sold for $162,500 on the 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock music festival, which was the groups second performance with Neil Young, who later joined the group known as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Nash purchased the instrument using some of the money Crosby, Stills and Nash received from their first recording contract with Atlantic Records. Stills and Crosby bought similar instruments at the time (1969).
Multiple bidders pursued Graham Nash's 1950 Fender Broadcaster Butter Scotch Blonde Solid Body Electric Guitar, Serial # 0628 until it closed at $40,000. The original Fender Broadcaster was restored by renowned luthier Clive Brown.
Other instruments owned and/or played by Nash included:
· Graham Nash 's 1954 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst Solid Body Electric Guitar, Serial #1091 $36,250
· Johnny Cash's 1937 Martin 000-28 Natural Acoustic Guitar, Serial # 65756 Owned and Played by Graham Nash $31,250
· Willie Nelson's Acoustic Guitar Signed by Johnny Cash and Others Serial # 222N Owned and Played by Graham Nash Along With Bandana $27,500
One lot that exceeded all pre-auction expectations was Tupac Shakurs 1995 New York Prison ID, which generated bids from 30 collectors before closing at $30,000, against an estimate of $4,000-6,000. Issued at the time of the hip-hop stars 1995 incarceration, the card shows 2/28/95 as the issue date, and is signed by the late artist above the Inmate Signature line.
Bob Dylan 1966 Concert Poster w/The Hawks (The Band), Seattle, WA drew bids from 39 collectors before finishing at $21,250, annihilating the pre-auction estimate of $1,000+. This original, vintage Dylan window card traces back to when he was changing the face of popular music by splitting his concerts into two halves: folk music and barnstorming rock n roll. Featuring a close-up portrait of Dylan with his harmonica and a cigarette, the poster declares A Northwest Releasing Event at New Center Arena. Because it was used exclusively for local advertising, it was unnecessary to even mention the city of Seattle.
Elton John/Bernie Taupin Skyline Pigeon Handwritten Song Lyrics (1968) offered collectors a rare opportunity to acquire the original handwritten lyrics from the first important song by the legendary musical duo. Multiple bids drove the final price to $21,250, in part because the lyrics were accompanied by perfect testimonial letters from both John and Taupin. Skyline Pigeon first appeared on the Empty Sky and Dont Shoot Me Im Only the Piano Player albums. The handwritten credits on the lyrics sheet are listed for Dwight/Taupin; at the time the song was written, John still went by his real name: Reginald Dwight.
Nearly a dozen bidders chased Jimi Hendrix/Janis Joplin/The Who - LARGE Monterey Pop Festival Poster (1967) until it realized $18,750, more than six times its $3,000 pre-auction estimate. The large-format poster was designed by Tom Wilkes and printed on silver foil stock to advertise the three-day festival that was held in June 1967 and is considered by many to be the greatest weekend in rock n roll history. Large-format examples like this one are absolute rarities, printed in small quantities and used only for advertising, with value and desirability boosted by the fact that most were thrown away after the festival, which officially kicked off the Summer of Love.