Elton John items fetch more than $20 mn at New York auction

Pallade Veneta - Elton John items fetch more than $20 mn at New York auction

CULTURE 29.02.2024

Elton John items fetch more than $20 mn at New York auction / Photo: Handout - CHRISTIE'S AUCTION HOUSE/AFP/File

From Elton John's glasses to a Banksy triptych, a collection of more than 900 items and artworks belonging to the legendary British musician fetched more than $20 million at several auctions this month, Christie's said Thursday.

Change text size:

The auction house held a series of eight sales, both in person and online up until Wednesday for the collection of the 76-year-old's belongings, including an ivory and gold glam rock jumpsuit from the early 1970s designed by Annie Reavey, which sold for $12,600.

As enthusiastic collectors made bids, John's grand piano fetched over $200,000, while a pair of sunglasses, a key element of the singer's signature look, found a buyer for $22,680, ten times more than the initial estimate.

Most of the items came from the artist's palatial home in Atlanta, Georgia, which had served as a base for his American tours, and which he recently sold.

The legendary musician, known for hits like "Your Song," "Rocket Man," and "Sacrifice," for flamboyant costumes and support for HIV/AIDS causes, wrapped up his farewell tour last year.

John bought the Atlanta home shortly after getting sober in 1990, Christie's said, as the singer found "solace and support in the warm community and recovery facilities" there.

With works by artists Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe and Richard Avedon, the collection, which he built together with his husband David Furnish, shows the couple's taste in contemporary art.

The personal collections of pop culture icons have become a regular feature at the world's top auction houses.

Last September, thousands of items that belonged to late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury sold for 40 million pounds ($50.4 million), Sotheby's said.

Y.Destro--PV

Jersey Boys Anniversary Tour Opens in Birmingham With Gritty Account of Crime and Fame

The 20th-anniversary tour of Jersey Boys has opened at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre, offering a gritty and unvarnished look at the Four Seasons’ journey. The production details the band's turbulent rise from New Jersey petty criminals to international rock stars, highlighting the complex personal costs behind their musical success.

UBC professor describes police call after Galloway remark as act of care

VANCOUVER — A University of British Columbia professor has testified about a colleague’s decision to call police to visit Steven Galloway after he was accused of sexual assault, describing it as an “act of care” toward the author, who had spoken of killing himself. Galloway, who is suing his accuser and others in a defamation trial centred on the unproven allegations, has described his subsequent committal to a hospital in the United States as “terrifying.

Pallade Veneta - Elton John items fetch more than $20 mn at New York auction