Someone Just Paid A LOT for Freddie Mercury’s Piano
Items from the estate of Freddie Mercury, the legendary lead singer of Queen, attracted huge bids at a Sotheby’s auction.
The first night of Sotheby’s Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own auction on Wednesday featured incredible artwork, jewelry, clothing, costumes, handwritten lyrics and more from Mercury’s incredible collection were sold, with Sotheby’s claiming 93% of items sold above estimated prices.
According to Sotheby’s:
With nearly 60 lots ranging from precious objects, jewels, art and clothing to instruments, lyrics, and stage-wear coming under the hammer, the sale represented the span of Freddie’s life and passions. Whether it was the music so close to his heart, his unique sense of showmanship and style, his connoisseurship and expertise for objets and antiques, or his zest for Japanese art and culture, this sale represented a richly drawn, textured portrait of the man.
The biggest item up for bid? Mercury’s piano, a Yamaha G2 baby grand that he purchased in 1975. It sold for $2.2 million.
#AuctionUpdate Freddie Mercury’s Yamaha G2 Baby Grand Piano—which he used to compose hits such as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and considered as an extension of himself—sells for £1.7m, setting a record for a composer's piano pic.twitter.com/bE0dJjZLIB
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) September 6, 2023
Another item, a handwritten early draft of what would become “Bohemian Rhapsody,” sold for $1.74 million.
Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby’s
Here’s a look at a few other highlights of the auction:
#AuctionUpdate Freddie Mercury’s two-tone platform boots by Alan Mair, which he wore extensively in late 1972-1973, sell for £27,940—9x the low estimate pic.twitter.com/sF2ftkScRG
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) September 7, 2023
The crown and royal robe that Mercury wore on stage with Queen at Knebworth Park in England in 1986:
Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby’s
#AuctionUpdate Freddie Mercury's iconic black and white catsuit and ballet shoes worn in the music video for We Are The Champions (1977) sell for £190k, 10x its estimate pic.twitter.com/kTces16e9k
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) September 6, 2023
Items from Mercury’s vast collection of cat artwork and memorabilia:
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Sotheby’s
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May 2019
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