Music is food for the soul. Some fans, however, can take it just a little too far. From some of the most expensive guitars ever purchased to clothing worn by the greats, these are just some of the incredible prices some fans have paid for music icon’s items…
Jimi Hendrix’s Burned Guitar
Before it went to auctions, predictions for how much Jimi Hendrix’s legendary guitar from the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival would go for were all over the map. For those who don’t know, Hendrix pulled one of the most unique stunts in all of rock and roll history when he covered his guitar in lighter fluid, flicked a lit match onto it, and watched it burn in front of the audience. Ultimately, the burnt, unusable guitar sold for a whopping £237,000 ($312,500) in the United Kingdom in 2012.
Michael Jackson’s Silver Glove
As you might imagine, music memorabilia previously owned – and in this case, worn – by the late Michael Jackson, aka the King of Pop, often goes for vast amounts of money. Just take his famous silver glove, for instance. While experts said pre-sale that the glove would go for somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000, it ultimately sold for an incredible $350,000 to Hong Kong businessman Hoffman Ma. Other items from the King of Pop, like his iconic jacket and military-style hat, have gone for similar amounts in the years following his passing.
Ringo Starr’s copy of The White Album
For those that don’t know, back in the day, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr claimed the first copy, literally numbered 0000001, of the group’s hit album, The White Album. While Starr cherished the album for many, many years, he decided to auction it off in a 2015 auction of many of his possessions. In the end, the bidding for the first printing ended at an eye-popping $790,000. But Starr, one of the wealthiest musicians on Earth, did not keep the bulk of the profits, instead donating the funds to The Lotus Foundation, a charity founded by the drummer and his wife, actress Barbara Bach.
Kurt Cobain’s MTV Unplugged Guitar
Ever wonder what the most expensive guitar ever sold is? Well, we know! That distinct honor goes to the played by Kurt Cobain during Nirvana‘s iconic MTV Unplugged performance in 1993. In 2020, the instrument took the title of most expensive guitar ever, selling at auction for an unbelievable $6 million. That’s right! Thankfully, it won’t just hang in some rich man’s house until the end of time. The buyer of the guitar, Peter Freedman of RØDE Microphones, plans to have the guitar travel to museums all around the world, while raising money for performing arts education. How amazing!