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Elvis Presley's record collection spins to $75,000
The remarkable sale of the King of Rock 'n' Roll's very own record collection lead an online auction
The Fame Bureau's May 27 online music memorabilia auction featured items linked to some of the greatest names in 20th century music, including Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Led Zeppelin.
There are perhaps few things more personal to a musician than their own record collection - and, remarkably, this auction offered nothing less than the record collection of Elvis Presley himself.
 The King of Rock 'n' Roll in 1975 |
Elvis's collection of old 78rpm records was consigned by the American guitarist Scotty Moore. Moore was Elvis's first guitarist and manager in the mid-1950s, recording around 500 songs with the King at the legendary Sun Studios, in Memphis.
According to Moore's own testament, years later, in 1968, he received a call from Elvis to meet at RCA's Studio B in Nashville. Elvis asked if Moore could help transfer is treasured collection of 78s onto reel-to-reel tape.
Elvis left a briefcase filled with the 78s, and Moore did as he was asked. Later that year, Moore and Presley again teamed up, getting their old band back together for his famous "NBC Comeback Special" (shown in the above video).
After the idea of a European tour was cancelled (Elvis went to Las Vegas, instead) Moore never saw the King ever again. What's more, in all that time Elvis didn't ask for his old record collection to be returned.
Having kept the records safe and secure for more than 40 years, Moore consigned them to the Fame Bureau's auction. They sold for $75,000.
 Guitarist Scotty Moore, with Elvis's treasured 78rpm vinyl collection |
Also featured in the sale was a gold medallion gifted to Elvis by the hotelier Barron Hilton (Grandfather of socialite Paris Hilton) and worn onstage in 1975.
After generating much excitement, the medallion (pictured above left) auctioned with a higher estimate of $1m - its value in no way harmed by the highly rare and collectible 1924 St Gaudens double eagle gold coin embedded its centre.
In the end, however, the $1m estimate proved a little optimistic. The King's medallion eventually sold for a more realistic, yet still impressive, $60,000.
In related music memorabilia news, collectors and investors interested in collecting rock memorabilia may be interested to know that a rare and highly sought-after set of Led Zeppelin signatures is currently for sale on the market.
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Images: Fame Bureau
www.paulfrasercollectibles.com