jim irsay guitar collection list

He now calls Las Vegas home, but has journeyed from the sunshine of California and the rain in Seattle, to the humidity of Arkansas and the snow of Minnesota. As it turned out, though, Allen was in the bidding. Stone printing of the Declaration of Independence, considered one of the first exact facsimiles of the actual document. But I dont possess it. "He wants. He attributes this both to experience and mysticism. In 2014, he was arrested for DWI and possession of prescription medications. Though Irsay talked during his performance about the darkness that grips people in the throes of anguish or addiction, Tuesday night in Chicago was a festive occasion in homage to excellence. This time, Irsay wisely declined. The Jim Irsay Collection at the Navy Pier in Chicago. 'It sounds ridiculous,' he added. Handwritten notes, documents, and artifacts from Susan B. Anthony. As an added bonus, Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy, astonishingly spry and vibrant at 86 years old, joined onstage as a surprise guest, playing for an enthused crowd. And then we have people on retainer like Jim Canary, whos a paper conservator at Indiana University. pepper's on it. Irsay said he had initially approached cities including Nashville and Austin about doing a public-private partnership in which he would provide all of the exhibits at no cost while the cities committed to providing the space and upkeep. Sometimes its not popular. Then (because it was the middle of the night in Hawaii, where he was at the time) he went to bed. I didn't anticipate that. Among the collection are instruments owned and used by The Beatles, Prince, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Johnny Cash, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Coltrane, The Edge, and others. On 10 September 1962, Beatles manager Brian Epstein went to Rushworth's Music House in Liverpool and purchased a pair of nearly identical brand new Gibson J-160E acoustic guitars for John Lennon and George Harrison to use in the band, for the tidy . . And Irsay has done that in spades. The auctioneers said the sale of Cobain's guitar was a 'once-in-a-lifetime' event. . The Nirvana frontman played the blue-and-white 1969 Fender Mustang left-handed guitar to record the band's seminal 1991 grunge anthem. Kurt Cobain's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' guitar sells for a Australian microphone king buys Kurt Cobain's iconic 'MTV Kurt Cobain's iconic blue guitar from Nirvana's 1991 hit Alex Raskin Sports News Editor For Dailymail.com, Do not sell or share my personal information, 1964 Gibson SG guitar (Beatles' George Harrison/John Lennon), 1979 Doug Irwin 'Tiger' guitar (Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia), 1969 C.F. Its to allow people to see it and share these things., Irsays exhibit has a little bit for everybody, but the heart of the experience is a guitar collection described last year by Guitar Magazine as The Greatest Guitars on Earth.. . Jim Irsay . He paid $965,000 for the Newport Stratocaster Bob Dylan played at the 1965 Newport Festival, when he and his band went electric for the first time; dropped $4.4 million for Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobains Fender Mustang; and $4 million for Pink Floyd guitarist David Gimours black Fender Stratocaster. By Alex Raskin Sports News Editor For Dailymail.com, Published: 13:31 GMT, 3 June 2022 | Updated: 13:45 GMT, 3 June 2022. The Dish Outside of music, the collection includes such historic items as: Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. Its a service of the arts to the community.. The list goes on and on. In November of the following year, the Gretsch was gifted to his cousin David Birch. I was kind of early in the process, and I was outbid, Irsay told guitar.com. Among the artists featured in the 20 guitars are Jerry Garcia, David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Les Paul, Jimmy Page, the . I want to make that very fucking clear. IM BLESSED. He purchased a 1966 Vox guitar , played by Lennon and George Harrison, for $408,000 at auction in 2013. Indeed, hes not shy about allowing his numerous musical celebrity friends to play guitars from his collection, and will occasionally do it himself. About $15,000 of the balls sale price went to Ukrainian relief organizations. Then, he explained, visions help him navigate through his life decisions, and it came to him that this should be a traveling museum. Today, the necks startling lustre and the overall originality of the instrument tell us little about its former owner and, perhaps fittingly, theres a frustrating and slightly icy sense of detachment that leaves us feeling no closer to rocks greatest poet and greatest enigma. The guitar promptly ignited a furious bidding war, which Irsays representative won by offering the max $3.75 million. His travels have taken him to Puerto Vallarta, Costa Rica, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, but he's happiest at home with his wife, two daughters, and dog. In 2014, Irsay was suspended by the NFL for six games and fined $500,000 for, Since then, Irsay has been open about his emphasis to support. (From left to right) Grammy-nominated Kenny Wayne Shepherd on blues guitar, John Mellencamp guitarist Mike Wanchic, Tom Bukovac, and REM bassist Mike Mills, Irsay outbid late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for Ringo Starr's drum kit, which will be in display in New York on Friday. The comments below have not been moderated. He said: 'I am thrilled to preserve and protect another piece of American culture that changed the way we looked at the world.'. The moment proved to be a major turning point for rock music, and the guitar Dylan used is Irsay's favorite of his collection: 'If I had to pick one, and its awfully hard, I would say probably Bob Dylans Strat that he plugged in at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 and changed music, turned it electric. 'These things will come alive some day,' Irsay said. His collection debuts at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, which is also free to the public, along with guitars and musical instruments used by the Beatles, Prince and Kurt Cobain; 1823 edition of the Declaration of . The Jim Irsay Collection of guitars.Photos by Tony Valainis. We touch down in Indiana to pay him a visit. Theres so many things. The Jim Irsay Collection is highlighted by instruments and items owned and used by some of the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, John I wouldnt be here right now without that., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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But I like people to be able to say, I played Tiger, if you are a guitar player of any magnitude, or even if you just want to hold it. The lot came with the guitar case the Smells Like Teen Spirit group's late frontman used, which has a poster of Poison Idea's album Feel the Darkness on it, whilst inside is a bunch of guitar strings, picks and a 'stash' bag. Items on display ran the gamut from historical artifacts such as letters from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the wanted poster for John Wilkes Booth and the Atlantic Charter signed by Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt to pop culture items such as Hunter S. Thompsons Red Shark 1973 Chevrolet Caprice convertible." To settle a bet, John Lennon showed up and played three songs in what would prove to be his final public performance. Irsay was on stage singing for the open and conclusion of the show, but stepped aside for a lengthy portion during the middle. Nevermind, the band's second album, has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. WATCHVIDEO, "Bloomberg caught up with Irsay in advance of the [concert and exhibit in New York]. I have this obligation. Perhaps as a nod to Irsays own well-publicised battle with addiction, theres also the working manuscript for The Big Book aka Alcoholics Anonymous. The Stratocaster that Bob Dylan played at Newport Folk Festival in 1965? He takes it on the road and shows it off for free. Irsay is clearly thrilled with this acquisition, describing it as unbelievable. Like any music lover or fan I want to try to have fun with it and share it, he continues. During the past year, The Jim Irsay Collection World Tour (think of it as a new-age traveling museum with live music and more) has made one-night stops in Nashville, Washington, D.C., Austin, L.A., New York, and Chicago. ABOUT THE JIM IRSAY COLLECTION Jim Irsay's passion for rock music, American history and pop culture led him to assemble a robust collection of historic and culturally-significant artifacts over several decades that together make up The Jim Irsay Collection. Its a 200-foot scroll upon which Kerouac pounded out his most famous missive during a weekslong, alcohol- and drug-fueled frenzy. There was an event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City earlier this year; a date is set for Indianapolis next month. "He wants. Renowned American author Jack Kerouacs original 119-foot. Its hard to argue with this assessment. And speaking of drug-fueled missives, in 1998, Thompson sent Irsay an equally impassioned plea for the Colts to draft QB Ryan Leaf instead of Peyton Manning. While recording Revolver, The Beatles were reimagining the pop landscape from one studio day to the next, and that certainly gives this instrument a special allure even if John obviously preferred his Epiphone Casino. He owns guitars that once belonged to Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Prince and others, as well as Jack. Irsay threw in a record winning bid of $3.975 million for Gilmour's 1969 black Fender Stratocaster known as "The Black Strat." Jerry. And regardless of your area of interest, there will be something there that will blow your mind." We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Its easy to see why a literary loose cannon like Thompson would want Irsay to purchase the manuscript (which he did, for $2.4 million). One guy dropped out and then the [other] guy was at [$3.25 million] and then he went to [$3.5 million], and then we went to [$3.75 million] and then silence silence silence'''. Pop Culture. Its like Dylan says, He not busy being born is busy dying, Irsay asserts. Mostly, though, Irsay is drawn to collecting because hebelieves these instruments are more than just inanimate keepsakes. Items that will be on display include: An eclectic collection of pop culture and sports memorabilia will also be on display, including: The evening will also include some live music, with Irsay taking the lead and an all-star band backing him. To Irsay, his collection is more than just a hobby. We are an outdoor venue. It's amazing to have that piece of history because Lennon was so major', Much of Irsay's collection centers around his lifelong passion for the Beatles. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been on a buying spree, purchasing a baseball signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for more than $50,000 and the Fender Mustang guitar used by . The Jim Irsay Collection: $100 Million Traveling Museum Worth the (Free) Price of Admission. He owns instruments from all four members, Irsay's interests extend to American history as well, which is why he's included items like Abraham Lincoln's pocket knife, Pictured next to the exhibit of the original scroll that Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road on are Jim Sampas, left, the Literary Executor, Jack Kerouac Estate, and a nephew of Kerouacs and Jim Canary, (right) the conservator at the Lilly Library at Indiana University, at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at The Lowell National Historic Park in Lowell MA on March 17, 2022. Jim Irsayrenowned philanthropist and Owner of the Indianapolis Coltshas a deep passion for rock music. 'It's not really as much as the intellect of the mind; it's more of the spirit and what comes to me,' said Irsay, who could easily be mistaken for a country music mogul in his black sunglasses and grey Stetson. I dont really have a job. At one point in an interview with The Post last week, Irsay referred to the collections value as being $100 million. Though many of the pieces in the collection have been present during seismic moments in popular music history, its interesting to compare guitars that spent a long time in the service of one artist to those instruments whose spell in the limelight was more fleeting. I dont have any ownership over it. Buzz Aldrins space suit recently sold at auction for nearly $3 million, but Irsay is holding out for Armstrongs. WATCHVIDEO, "Bloomberg caught up with Irsay in advance of the [concert and exhibit in New York]. Hes still adding to the collection and keeping it topical. Thats a cool groove. My biggest regret was when I lost Wilson, the volleyball from Cast Away. None other than gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson encouraged Irsay to purchase Kerouacs On the Road manuscript. The half-day event at Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom is free to the public and features everything from John Lennon's piano, used to write 'A Day in the Life,' to Irsay's newly acquired Fender. bassist Mike Mills and singer Ann Wilson to accompany his eclectic, traveling $100 million memorabilia collection featuring a dazzling array of artifacts from American history, including the realms of music, sports and entertainment at a stop for an evening on Navy Pier in downtown Chicago. PARKING: There are several parking options that can be found around the venue. Though Lennons time with the guitar was relatively brief, the double-cutaway 6120 featured on the groundbreaking Paperback Writer and Rain sessions in April 1966. Upon follow-up, he said it was priceless, and that if a Saudi sheikh offered him $1 billion, the answer would be a flat no. He not only submitted the winning offer at that price, but narrowly and unknowingly outlasted a wealthier bidder in Paul Allen. Irsay possesses a Steinway that Elton John used for years, including during a 1974 Madison Square Garden show where John Lennon performed several songs as Johns guestwhich turned out to be the former Beatles last live performance. Irsay's collection also includes Jack Kerouac's original 36-metre typewritten manuscript for On The Road ($2.4m), Hunter S Thompson's Red . Other members of the band include Mike Mills, one of the founding members of REM; Kenny Aronoff, a drummer who has worked with Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Sting, and others; Carmella Ramsey, who worked with Olivia Newton-John, John Hiatt, and others; and many more. And theres no sign of the pace slowing any time soon the collection continues to expand and the plans for it get more and more ambitious. Visit thejimirsaycollection.com for details. thejimirsaycollection Follow 199 posts 4,783 followers 111 following The Jim Irsay Collection Rock 'n Roll. Before the auction, Irsay placed his maximum bid at $3.75 million ($4.4 million with auction fees included). How you experience it when you walk in? According to Irsay, at the heart of the collection is a David Gilmour Stratocaster in which 66 countries have contacted him about purchasing. The Jim Irsay Collection is highlighted by instruments and items owned and used by some of the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, John Coltrane, and more. Believe me, its not a one-man show.. PROHIBITED ITEMS: Chairs, Tables, Outside Food/Drinks, Large Backpacks 14x 14, Illegal Substances, Weapons, & Drones, 200 S 3rd St, Las Vegas, NV 89101 "Over the years, some remarkable guitar collections have featured in the pages of this magazine. Shepherd may prefer heavier strings and an action with a little more fight but it doesnt stop him from sounding pretty spectacular with David Gilmours longtime number one plugged into a vintage 5E3 Deluxe. Irsay hopes that life experiences, ranging from outreach or a Jim Irsay Collection concert, can ultimately benefit those who are in need. Last May, Irsay purchased a baseball that was signed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to New York City in 2019. "The guitar was acquired by The Jim Irsay Collection in Indianapolis in a bidding war among collectors and bidders all across the globe . Irsay established himself long ago as a connoisseur of cultural and rock & roll artifacts. So when the Colts boss saw Allen at an event in the following days, Irsay figured he should offer a 'thank you' to Allen, whom he mistakenly assumed had stayed out of the bidding. Kurt Cobain's guitar from Nirvana's 1991 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' music video was up for auction in Las Vegas, where acolytes of the 62-year-old billionaire were ready spend as much as $3.75 million on the piece at Irsay's direction. I want no money, Irsay told Reuters. have each advocated for the initiative, among others. READ ARTICLE, Smells like team spirit: Billionaire Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay shares his collection of rare guitars at a free exhibition after splurging $4.4 million on Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's Fender Mustang READ ARTICLE, "Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is displaying his world-renowned collection of historic memorabilia to the public for the first time in the Big Apple. For the last quarter of a century, the billionaire owner and CEO of the NFLs Indianapolis Colts has spent big to obtain some of the most iconic instruments in rock history. While Irsay has collected items from across the spectrum of American history, there is a specific emphasis on the 20th century (We went from horse and buggies on the road to a man on the moon in 65 years, Irsay pointed out to The Post). Excited Indianapolis Colts fans were treated to a star-studded concert celebrating the Jim Irsay Collection and the kickoff of Colts season. The billionaire expressed interest in building a serious collection. Visit jimirsaycollection.com to find out more about the collections upcoming tour dates. A 1953 game-used Jackie Robinson baseball bat. Stone printing of the Declaration of Independence, one of the first exact facsimiles of the final signed document. But I can be a steward and a curator. A guitar formerly owned by Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain that was featured in the music video for the band's hit song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" sold for $4.5 million on Sunday, after billionaire. "Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is displaying his world-renowned collection of historic memorabilia to the public for the first time in the Big Apple. The Nirvana frontman played the blue-and-white 1969 Fender Mustang guitar to record the band's seminal 1991 grunge anthem, The guitar, case and strap sold for seven times its $642,0000 estimate with Julien's Auctions in California. Would love your thoughts, please comment. In 2022, according to the release, Guitar Magazine highlighted Irsay's collection of guitars as "The Greatest Guitars on Earth." Colts' Jim Irsay hosting free event in downtown Las Vegas . '''There was three of us bidding, going up in $250,000 increments. After all, Allen, with his $20-billion fortune, could have easily out-spent Irsay if he were so inclined. Irsay's intuition admittedly fell short in 2019, when he paid a record $4 million for Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's 'Black Strat' a Fender Stratocaster that was drawing bids from 61 different countries. Irsay, 62, who is worth an estimated $3.5billion, is a major guitar collector, having bought instruments previously owned by Elvis Presley, George Harrison, Prince, Bob Dylan and David Gilmour, among others. The collection had a heavy focus on music history, including instruments such as Ringo Starrs drum set from the Beatles famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, John Coltranes saxophone and a piano from Elton John. Signed documents and artifacts from a number of U.S. presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. You cant keep track, its impossible. Once Colts owner Jim Irsay's father, Robert, passed away in 1997, he began a unique collection that is now worth millions. $957,500. campaign to encourage others to use mental health resources when needed. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been steadily assembling one of the most interesting privately owned collections of artifacts in the U.S. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor, entered rehab and was suspended for six games and fined $500,000 by the NFL. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. READINTERVIEW, "The focus [of the collection] is on powerful people who changed the world. The Jim Irsay Collection The electric guitar was also used by the tragic rock star in the music video for the song. 'I've been doing it for 25 years, and I would say I'm one of the only people who can peg these things pretty close,' Irsay said. ''', Irsay's collection also includes the robe Muhammad Ali wore before his 1965 rematch with Sonny Liston inLewiston, Maine, Irsay told DailyMail.com that his favorite piece is John Lennon's piano: 'I'd say John Lennon's piano is probably my favorite thing that I have, musically. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has spent 25 years assembling the world's leading collection of rock 'n' roll, American history and pop culture artefacts. Given his great love for wordsmiths such as Dylan and Kerouac, Irsays answer is perhaps unsurprising. The viewing events are free, but require RSVP tickets. The product of a quarter-century of feverish gathering, this massive cross section of musical, pop cultural, and political history includes everything from Abraham Lincoln's pocketknife to Jack Kerouac's manuscript for the novel On the Road. And regardless of your area of interest, there will be something there that will blow your mind." When I first got the [On The Road] scroll, Rolling Stonesaid that I would destroy it! Irsay says, laughing. He also draws parallels between trailblazers in music and creatives in business watching James Brown work is no different than Steve Jobs and over the years has found kindred spirits in the many musicians he counts as friends. It's also an excuse for Irsay to immerse himself in the lives of his heroes, like the evening he spent with Lennon's dear cousin in London. On September 9, Irsays Collection will be on display at Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium. Image: David Redfern / Redferns. Almost alarmingly so. (Please dress appropriately for the weather that day). Back stage, Pete Seeger was trying to cut the wires. For example, Gilmours Black Strat, heavily modified with very few original parts other than the body, still feels imprinted with the Pink Floyd stars identity. He wrote Sgt. The late Microsoft co-founder and Seattle Seahawks owner was a good friend of Irsay's and an accomplished collector as well. If music isnt your thing, theres plenty of American history in the collection. Ultimately the guitar was auctioned off for a record $6 million to Australian entrepreneur Peter Freedman. Were journeymen, were seekers. Its easy to see why a literary loose cannon like Thompson would want Irsay to purchase the manuscript (which he did, for $2.4 million). In 1977, the piano was used by Freddie Mercury for a 1977 Queen tour, and then by Paul McCartney during 1985s Live Aid concert. It includes instruments used by famous musicians. Irsays lineup of famous guitars has been called the greatest on earth. Its hard to argue with this assessment. He once offered to buy Cobain's acoustic guitar from the famed 'MTV: Unplugged' set, but when the seller instead opted to put it up for auction, Irsay backed away. '', 'Thankfully [Allen] wasn't in an ornery mood [during the auction], because if we really got into a bidding war, I couldn't have lasted.'. READARTICLE, "To call Irsays collection breathtaking would not do it justice. Art shippers that do nothing but that. Irsay sets his price before the bidding even starts (in this case, $3.75 million, or $4.4 million with auction fees included) and then sits back and lets the universe take care of the rest. He typically sets a ceiling on how much he wants to spend and leaves the actual in-person bidding to an intermediary. He attributes this both to experience and mysticism. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay already has an impressive collection of music memorabilia, and it just got stronger this weekend. That said, the legendary guitars all around us arent simply props for photoshoot shenanigans these days Irsay is keen to get the guitars in his collection into the hands of musicians.