A smashed guitar belonging to ex-Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain (†27) was auctioned in New York for more than $486,000. This corresponds to about 460,000 Swiss francs. The guitar was valued at $200,000, according to Julien’s auction house. Cobain smashed the instrument during the first US tour with his band Nirvana in 1989 at a concert in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.
But why did he do that? Cobain said, “Why not? It feels good. Someone has already cut a tree to build this damn guitar. Beat ’em! We only do it when the feeling is right,” he told a small audience during the concert.
Glasses and sandals also auctioned
The auction was part of a three-day rock and roll auction featuring more than 1,500 pieces from musicians such as Cobain, John Lennon (†41), Bob Dylan (81), Prince (†57), Amy Winehouse (†27) , Madonna (64) and Lady Gaga (36) came under the hammer.
A 1972 Elvis Presley (†42) diamond-set gold watch fetched $256,000, a Bob Dylan grand piano fetched $217,000, and a Prince blue electric guitar $192,000. Round wire glasses, once worn by John Lennon, sold for about $162,000. A pair of well-worn Birkenstock sandals from Apple founder Steve Jobs (†56) also hit a multiple of the estimate.
Several Gibson guitars, made in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag, were auctioned for victims of the Ukraine war. The guitar that ex-Beatle member Paul McCartney (80) performed in the summer brought in nearly $77,000.
Cobain guitars have made millions in the past
Already in 2020, the auction house Julien’s set an auction record with one of Cobain’s guitars. At the time, an acoustic-electric guitar was auctioned for a whopping $6 million. Cobain played this guitar during his legendary “MTV Unplugged” performance in 1993, five months before his death.
The guitar Cobain played in the music video for Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit also grossed $4.5 million. The song also became legendary as the Nirvana frontman’s life ended tragically. He committed suicide in 1994 at the age of 27. (SDA)