The piano used by Freddie Mercury to compose the iconic song “Bohemian Rhapsody” and other Queen hits has been sold for over $2 million at a UK auction. In addition, a Victorian-style silver snake bangle worn by Mercury in a video has set a new record for the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of jewelry owned by a rock star, according to Sotheby’s. The bracelet was sold for $881,000. These unique items were collected by Mercury, who had a passion for living a Victorian life surrounded by beautiful and eclectic objects.
Mercury’s dear friend, Mary Austin, who inherited his house and possessions after his death from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991 at the age of 45, is now selling over 1,400 items. Items related to “Bohemian Rhapsody” fetched high prices at the auction, with handwritten lyrics to the song selling for approximately $1.7 million and a gold Cartier brooch inscribed with “Queen number 1” given to each band member by their manager after the song topped the charts, selling for $208,000. Bidders from 61 countries participated in the auction, either in person, online, or by phone, resulting in a total of $15.4 million spent on around 60 items.
The Yamaha baby grand piano used by Mercury to create some of Queen’s greatest hits was one of the few items that sold for less than its estimated value, yet it still fetched the highest amount of money. The piano, originally estimated to sell for up to $3.75 million, was sold for $2.2 million. Sotheby’s declared it the highest price ever paid for a composer’s piano. Other highly valued items among fans were Mercury’s draft lyrics to “Somebody to Love” ($304,000), and “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “We Are the Champions,” which both sold for $400,700.
(Read more Freddie Mercury stories.)
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