Sotheby’s announced Wednesday that the cherry red Hagstrom guitar that Elvis Presley played during the 1968 concert that marked his return to the stage after seven years devoted to film will star in the ‘Rock & Pop’ auction, which will be held April 13-20 in New York.
An acoustic guitar signed by Noel Gallagher and used by the British musician during the recording sessions of ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ by his band Oasis will also be part of the auction.
According to Sotheby’s, these guitars represent pivotal moments in popular music, unite generations and continents, and celebrate the enduring power of rock.
Elvis Presley played the Hagstrom Viking I, valued at between $1 million and $2 million, during the 1968 television special ‘Singer Presents…. Elvis’, known as the ’68 Comeback Special’, aired on NBC on December 3 of that year.
A photograph of Presley with this same guitar also appears on the cover of his 1969 album ‘From Elvis in Memphis’.
The auction house stressed in a statement that this concert marked a decisive milestone in the career of the ‘King of Rock’, and remains one of the most iconic moments in the history of popular music.
The guitar up for auction was previously displayed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and its legacy is still present in contemporary representations, such as the movie ‘Elvis’ (2022), where Austin Butler plays a similar Hagstrom.
Meanwhile, Gallagher’s Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic guitar, valued at between $60,000 and $80,000, was used to compose songs for the album ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’, which includes hits such as ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’, which catapulted the Manchester band to international stardom.
According to the auction house, Gallagher’s compositions on this instrument are both “nostalgic and avant-garde” and reflect “the band’s enduring influence across generations.”
“That influence is especially relevant today, as the band enjoys a renewed cultural prominence,” says the house, following its popular reunion tour last year.
The auction also includes Gallagher’s original manuscript for ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ (estimated at $30,000 to $40,000) and his 12-string Rickenbacker guitar ($60,000 to $80,000).
Other notable items include instruments and personal items from iconic rock figures, such as Bruce Springsteen’s acoustic guitar used to write ‘Born To Run’ (between $200,000 and $250,000), David Bowie’s manuscript for ‘The Jean Genie’ ($125,000-150,000) and an Eric Clapton guitar ($175,000-200,000), reported Agencia EFE.
Find out more at ‘QueOnnda.com’.
