Jimi Hendrix's Japanese sunburst electric guitar has sold for more than £160,000 ($209,000) at auction.

The late music icon - who chocked on his own vomit and died at the age of just 27 in September 1970, and was one of the first rock stars to join the famous cult 27 club - used the popular instrument after being discharged from the army in 1962 and when he performed for acts including the Isley Brothers.

The classic piece went under the hammer at GWS Auctions and was only expected to fetch £38,000 ($50,000), but it sold for £138,000 ( $180,000), plus fees, meaning the total spent on the sought-after instrument by the winning bidder was £165,000 ( $216,000).

As per the description of the guitar on GWS' website, Hendrix used the instrument when he "played on the Chitlin’ Circuit with the likes of Wilson Pickett, Slim Harpo, Sam Cooke, Ike and Tina Turner and Jackie Wilson before moving to Harlem, New York in early 1964."

Hendrix's friend Mike Quashie - who influenced the 'Purple Haze' rocker's music - signed a letter confirming the electric sunburst belonged to the rock legend before his passing last year.

The listing stated that the guitar is “in well-loved condition” and was “keep it in its original state” without any strings on it.

The Hendrix sale comes just two months after Kurt Cobain's acoustic guitar from Nirvana's iconic 1993 'MTV Unplugged in New York' performance sold for a record-breaking $6 million (£4.85 million) at auction.

The 1959 Martin D-18E - which was often out of tune - was expected to fetch between $1million (£810,835) and $2 million (£1.62 million) at the online 'Music Icons' sale hosted by Julien's Auctions, but it ended up breaking the record for the most expensive guitar ever.

The priceless instrument - which was bought by an Australian businessman - succeeded the black Stratocaster owned by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, which sold for $3.95 million in 2019, as the most expensive guitar.

“She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many,” said husband John Travolta

Kelly Preston, the actress best known for her role as the fiancée of Tom Cruise’s character in Jerry Maguire , died Sunday. She was 57.

The actress’s husband, John Travolta , shared the news on Instagram  Monday. “It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer,” he wrote. “She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.”

Born October 13th, 1962, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Preston studied acting at the University of Southern California and began her career with minor roles on television shows like, For Love and Honor. In 1985, she landed her first major movie role with the teen comedy  Mischief .

Preston’s breakthrough came a few years later when she portrayed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s love interest in the 1988 comedy film Twins . That same year, Preston met Travolta while they worked on the film The Experts . The couple would marry in 1991.

Preston worked steadily on various film and TV projects during the early Nineties, before landing  Jerry Maguire in 1996. It wasn’t a huge role, but Preston made the most of it, particularly a scene where she tells off Cruise’s Maguire with a few punches to the face and a knee to the gut after he unceremoniously dumps her.

In addition to  Jerry Maguire , Preston portrayed Jane Aubrey in 1999’s For Love of the Game , and made a cameo appearance in the 2000 sci-fi film  Battlefield Earth , starring Travolta. Her final film role was in the Travolta-helmed  Gotti , in 2018, as the wife to Mafia boss John Gotti. To prepare for the role, Preston met with the real-life Victoria Gotti and formed a relationship with her.

“We sat there for hours, just talking and eating,” Preston said at a press meeting during the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. “I spent the whole day with her family. I also had an email relationship with her, and she would tell me everything.”

Preston is survived by Travolta and their children, Ella Bleu and Benjamin. Their eldest son, Jett died in 2009 at age 16 after having a seizure.

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1959 Martin D-18E has a starting estimate of $1 million

The guitar Kurt Cobain played during Nirvana ’s famed MTV Unplugged in New York concert is headed to auction with a starting estimate of $1 million.

The guitar will be part of the “Music Icons” sale at Julien’s Auctions, taking place June 19th and 20th in Beverly Hills and on the Julien’s Auctions website . Prior to the sale, the guitar will be on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly Circus, London, May 15th through 31st, and at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, June 15th through 19th.

The guitar is a 1959 Martin D-18E, and the auction lot also comes with the original hard-shell case that Cobain had adorned with a flyer for the band Poison Idea’s 1990 album, Feel the Darkness. (The case is also stamped with three baggage-claim ticket stubs and an Alaska Airlines sticker.) Inside the case is a half-used pack of Martin guitar strings, three picks, and a “suede ‘stash’ bag” that’s decorated with a small silver spoon, fork, and knife.

“This important guitar has earned its rightful place in rock & roll history as the instrument played by one of rock’s most influential musicians and icons in one of the greatest and most memorable live performances of all time,” Darren Julien, president and CEO of the auction house, said in a statement.

Along with the Unplugged guitar, the “Music Icons” sale will feature other Nirvana lots, including a smashed Fender Strat Cobain used during the 1994 In Utero tour, the silver lamé shirt he wore in the “Heart-Shaped Box” video, the typed set list from the Unplugged concert, and the lyric sheets he used for “Plateau,” “The Man Who Sold the World,” and “Lake of Fire.” Last October, the cardigan Cobain wore during Unplugged  sold at Julien’s Auctions for a record $334,000 .

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Italian melodic death metallers 5RAND return with their second album "Dark Mother". The effort is set for a release on 6th September 2019 with powerhouse label Time To Kill Records.

"Dark Mother" has been produced by longtime collaborator Marco Mastrobuono (FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, HOUR OF PENANCE) at Kick Recording Studio and Bloom Recording Studios, while mastering has been handled by famous Swedish producer Jens Bogren (ARCH ENEMY, KATATONIA, AMORPHIS and more) at Fascination Street Studios. The epic album artwork has been designed by the talented Hans Trasid and the graphic layout by Roberto Toderico (SODOM, ASPHYX, PESTILENCE).

Watch a short video trailer with a closer look at the artwork HERE !

"Dark Mother" shows the band staying true to their diverse and catchy style, taking elements from melodic death metal and industrial throughout the album's 11 tracks. The song "Silent Spring" features arrangements by Francesco Ferrini, keyboardist and songwriter of FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE.

"Dark Mother" Tracklist: 01. Collapsing Theory 02. Embrace the Fury 03. Several Injuries 04. The Awakening 05. Black Ocean 06. Cold Deception 07. Feel the End 08. Old Angel Midnight 09. Blind Addiction 10. Before the Flood 11. Silent Spring

Pre-orders available HERE .

Bio:

5RAND is a metal band from Italy: their sound combines Julia Elenoir's clean and growling vocals, melodic, ethereal elements and the aggressive riffing of extreme metal, evoking a dark, disturbing violent, and yet captivating, atmosphere, often conjuring comparisons to acts such as Slipknot, Fear Factory and Dark Tranquillity.

Following on the heels of the widely hailed debut album “Sacred/Scared” (2017), 5RAND toured Italy and Europe supporting Vader and Immolation and openened for bands such as Behemoth and Sepultura in several occasions. In 2018 the band toured Europe supporting Dark Tranquillity and Equilibrium and played many more headlining shows all over Italy.

The second album "Dark Mother" will be released worldwide on 6th September 2019 via Time To Kill Records. The release will be once again followed by an intense live activity.

5RAND line-up:

Julia Elenoir – Vocals Pierluigi Carocci – Guitar Riccardo Zito – Bass Andrea De Carolis– Drums

www.5RAND.net

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Time To Kill Records

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By

Jackson Maxwell

Guitars from the Pink Floyd frontman's collection fetched millions.

Yesterday, June 20, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour auctioned off over 120 guitars from his personal collection in New York City through Christie's. Highly anticipated throughout the guitar community, the auction shattered numerous records.

Gilmour's legendary 1969 Black Strat  took in  $3,975,000 ,   establishing a new world auction record for any guitar sold at auction — ever. Of course, this was the axe heard on “Comfortably Numb,” “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” “Money” and many other Pink Floyd classics.

The 1969 Martin D-35 Gilmour used on "Wish You Were Here" was up first, and—after selling for  $1,095,000 —immediately became the most valuable acoustic guitar ever sold,  according to Christie's.  The pre-auction estimate for the guitar? $10,000-$20,000. 

Gilmour's Olympic White "#0001" Fender Stratocaster —which he used on “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)”—was sold for  $1,815,000 , making it, a ccording to Christie's,  the most valuable Strat ever sold at auction.

Speaking of Strats, Gilmour's Candy Apple Red 1984 Fender Strat —which he used throughout the A  Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell  era—brought in  $615,000 . 

Not content with merely setting records for Strats and acoustics, Gilmour also set an auction record for a Les Paul, after his  1955 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop fetched $447,000 .

This page will be updated as the auction continues.  

"These guitars have been very good to me and many of them have given me pieces of music over the years," Gilmour said in a statement announcing the auction. "They have paid for themselves many times over, but it’s now time that they moved on. Guitars were made to be played and it is my wish that wherever they end up, they continue to give their owners the gift of music. By auctioning these guitars I hope that I can give some help where it is really needed and through my charitable foundation do some good in this world. It will be a wrench to see them go and perhaps one day I’ll have to track one or two of them down and buy them back!”

Source: Guitar Player

By: Jackson Maxwell

David Gilmour is downsizing his personal collection for a good cause.

David Gilmour has announced that he will auction off more than 120 guitars from his personal collection through Christie's.

The auction, which will take place in New York City on June 20, 2019, will feature some of Gilmour's most prized and iconic guitars, some of which are valued at as much as $150,000. All sales proceeds will benefit charitable causes.

“These guitars have been very good to me and many of them have gifted me pieces of music over the years," Gilmour said in a statement. "They have paid for themselves many times over, but it’s now time that they moved on. Guitars were made to be played and it is my wish that wherever they end up, they continue to give their owners the gift of music. By auctioning these guitars I hope that I can give some help where it is really needed and through my charitable foundation do some good in this world. It will be a wrench to see them go and perhaps one day I’ll have to track one or two of them down and buy them back!”

Some highlights from the collection can be seen here .