Pieces of music history are to be sold to the highest bidder as part of the estate of a legendary DJ born in the Wirral is to be auctioned off next month.
Heswall-born DJ John Peel, who died in 2004 at the age of 65, is credited with helping launch the careers of some of the world's most popular musicians, with Nirvana, Joy Division, and Queen being among the many in that list. It was then inevitable that John would slowly accumulate pieces of music history, in the form of first-pressings, signed copies, posters for monumental gigs, and even a 5-page letter from David Bowie.
That collection, built up over his 37-year career which was cut short by a heart-attack, is now facing the auctioneer's gavel as his estate prepares to part ways with some of his most valuable pieces. The most expensive item, a pressing of an LP by John Lennon and Yoko Ono called "Two Virgins" is estimated to fetch up to £20,000 during the auction held by Bonhams auction house in London on July 14.
READ MORE: Beatle sculpture was beheaded following 'insult to Liverpool' on chat show
Highlights of the sale include:
- The Rolling Stones: A Promotional Album LP Signed by the Band, 1969. Estimate: £6,000-8,000.
- Queen: A 'Queen II' LP with hand-written letter from Freddie Mercury, 1974. Estimate: £1,000-1,500.
- Joy Division: A 7" 'An Ideal For Living', 1978, with Letter from Stephen Morris. Estimate: £4,000-6,000.
- Sex Pistols: An Acetate 'Nevermind Buzzcocks'. Estimate: £5,000-7,000.
- Nirvana: A 7" Single 'Love Buzz/Big Cheese', 1988. Estimate: £3,000-4,000.
- The Clash: An 8" Single 'London Calling', 1979. Estimate: £2,500-3,000.
- U2: A 7" Single 'Joshua Tree Collection', 1987. Estimate: £1,500-2,000.
-
Joy Division: A 'Unknown Pleasures' Poster. Estimate: £3,000-4,000.
-
David Bowie: An Early Five-Sided Handwritten Letter With Stage Sketches, Signed. Estimate: £3,000-4,000.
-
Yoko Ono: A Note Regarding Forthcoming Demos. Estimate: £1,000-2,000.
A spokesperson for the Ravenscroft family (John's name before he began using Peel) said: "By virtue of the role he played in it, John was in a position to have access to many of the most celebrated people and events in the history of popular music. This is reflected in a wealth of souvenirs he collected throughout his life.
"He had not only a voracious appetite for vinyl, but a keen sense of what memorabilia, ephemera and correspondence might find an interested audience in decades to come, though it could be argued that this was achieved by a strategy of keeping almost everything that crossed his path.
"In going through the accumulation of 40 years of pop music moments, we decided that some of the most interesting items might find a home, with fans of his programme or of the artists whose music he played. Bonhams have assisted us to carefully select what is being offered for sale, and we hope these items find the attention and appreciation that we're sure John would feel they warranted.
"We had no desire to split up his beloved record collection but have included in the sale a selection of particularly rare or unique records that do not take away from the integrity of his archive."
