Freddie Mercury’s Piano And Scribbled “Bohemian Rhapsody” Lyrics Promote For Hundreds of thousands At Public sale
A few of Freddie Mercury’s prized possessions went up for public sale in London this week – together with a grand piano that bought for $2.17 million U.S. {dollars}.
One other excessive ticket merchandise – handwritten lyrics for the Queen hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which the frontman autographed – bought for $1.7 million U.S. {dollars}. The pages comprise a little bit of little identified historical past. The track was initially titled “Mongolian Rhapsody” however was altered to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the draft reveals.
A Yamaha grand piano on which Freddie Mercury composed many hits for Queen, together with “Bohemian Rhapsody. The exhibition “Freddie Mercury – A World Of His Own” in London gives insights into the non-public life and musical profession of the Queen frontman.
Philip Dethlefs/image alliance by way of Getty Photographs
Whereas objects like a crown and cloak set (which went for $791,784 U.S. {dollars}), a number of guitars, and several other catsuits have already bought, there are some items nonetheless being bid on, together with diaries and notebooks with handwritten lyrics and a pair Mercury’s signature Adidas excessive prime sneakers.
Mercury’s MTV Video Music Award, which Queen received in 1992 for finest video from a movie, was additionally nonetheless being bid on Thursday. The award was given for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which was featured in “Wayne’s World.”
The manuscripts of working lyrics for (L-R) ‘Don’t Cease Me Now’, ‘Somebody to Love’, and ‘We Are The Champions’, autographed by British singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury, are displayed in the course of the media preview for “Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own: The Evening Sale” at Sotheby’s in New York Metropolis on June 1, 2023.
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
The Sotheby’s multi-day public sale is damaged into classes: The “On Stage,” that includes costumes, devices, lyrics and different objects pertaining to performances; “At Home,” with objects from Mercury’s Backyard Lodge; “In Love With Japan,” that includes the Japanese artwork Mercury collected; and “Crazy Little Things,” with “oddments, curios and beloved objects from Freddie’s home.”
Earlier than the public sale objects had been bought, the had been on show in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and London.
Mercury sang with Queen for about 20 years and died in 1991 from issues from HIV. Throughout their many years collectively, Queen wrote numerous hits and was nominated for 4 Grammys.
