Kurt Cobain’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” guitar heads to auction
The guitar played by rock legend Kurt Cobain on the grunge anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit” will go under the hammer next month.
The 1966 Fender Mustang is part of a treasure trove of musical instruments and memorabilia that also includes the drum kit bearing the logo that introduced the Beatles to the United States when the Fab Four performed on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, CE Report quotes ANSA.
The collection of Jim Irsay, created by the former owner of the NFL team Indianapolis Colts, includes guitars played by musicians who shaped the 20th century, such as Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour, Grateful
Dead’s Jerry Garcia, Eric Clapton, John Coltrane and Johnny Cash.
At the heart of the collection, however, are the handwritten lyrics of the Beatles’ hit “Hey Jude” and the guitars played by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.
“I think it’s fair to say that this collection of instruments is the most important Beatles collection ever assembled by someone who was not part of the band,” said Amelia Walker, Christie’s London head of private and iconic collections.
“There are five Beatles guitars in his collection, as well as Ringo Starr’s first Ludwig drum kit and John Lennon’s piano, on which he composed several Sgt. Pepper songs.”
Also included is “the drumhead from Ringo’s second Ludwig kit, the image that greeted the 73 million Americans who tuned in to watch The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, when the Beatles broke through in America.”
According to Christie’s estimates, the drum kit could fetch around $2 million, while the guitars may sell for about $1 million at the New York auction.The most expensive item in the collection may be Cobain’s guitar, which experts believe could sell for up to $5 million.
“It’s a talismanic guitar for people of my generation who lived through grunge,” Walker said. “Smells Like Teen Spirit was that generation’s anthem. That video is truly iconic. We are incredibly proud and privileged to have it here.”
