Pink Floyd star David Gilmour sells guitar collection for nearly £17m at auction to fight climate change
Written by News on 25/06/2019
Pink Floyd star David Gilmour has sold his guitar collection for a record amount at auction, raising money to fight against climate change.
The 73-year-old singer and guitarist sold more than 120 instruments for a total of almost £17m.
His 1969 Black Fender Stratocaster alone fetched £3.1m, setting a world auction record for any guitar.
The Black Strat was used on albums including The Wall, Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon.
More than 2,000 bidders from 66 countries registered for the sale, which was held at auction house Christie’s in Rockefeller Centre in New York.
The auction house said it delayed the start of the sale by one hour after an “unprecedented number of bidders” turned up, leading a second saleroom to be opened up to accommodate the crowds.
Christie’s said Gilmour’s collection was the most valuable sale of musical instruments in auction history, beating a previous record held by Eric Clapton.
Gilmour was raising funds for ClientEarth, a charity made up of environmental lawyers.
The British musician said the current climate emergency was the “greatest challenge that humanity will ever face” and warned against the “irreversible” effects of climate change.
He said: “The choice really is that simple, and I hope that the sale of these guitars will help ClientEarth in their cause to use the law to bring about real change.
“We need a civilised world that goes on for all our grandchildren and beyond in which these guitars can be played and songs can be sung.”
ClientEarth’s chief executive James Thornton said the money was a “truly humbling and extraordinary gift” and would be a “phenomenal boost” to the charity’s work.
One of the top lots at auction was Gilmour’s 1954 White Fender Stratocaster which was played on Another Brick in the Wall and sold for £1.43m.
Gilmour admitted he was sad to lose the instruments.
He said: “These guitars have been very good to me and many of them have gifted me pieces of music over the years.
“They have paid for themselves many times over, but it’s now time that they moved on.”
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At the height of their popularity in the 1970s, Pink Floyd consisted of guitarist Gilmour, Nick Mason on drums, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, and Richard Wright on keyboard.
They are one of the best-selling groups ever.
(c) Sky News 2019: Pink Floyd star David Gilmour sells guitar collection for nearly £17m at auction to fight climate change
