Burnt Hendrix guitar to be sold in London

[Jahness]

Burnt Hendrix guitar to be sold in London


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)

Burnt Hendrix guitar to be sold in London - Yahoo! News

Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.

[Jalili]

Oddly enough, I have wondered what happened to that guitar

Random how this story popped up.

[Raha]

Tres interessant...

That guitar is priceless.

[Jahness]

Greetings Everyone!

We all know that guitar is priceless as you so correctly stated Raha, but we also know that the people who had it knew the value and they waited until they could cash in.


Jalili, yes it is strange how the story just so happens to pop up out of nowhere. While so many of these genius Afrikan musicians were being dumb down by drugs folks around them were stealing all there stuff waiting and watching to see how long it would take so many of them to self destruct.


Does anyone know if Hendrix have any children or family who ever gets some of these profits that these folks be making a killing on in his name?


I am pretty sure there is more to be heard on this and all the other stolen goods from some of these exceptional artists'

Peace & Blessings!