Queen frontman’s prized piano and a ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ draft are champions at a lucrative auction in London.
The Sothebyâs auction room echoed to the sound of the track âWe Will Rock Youâ before bidding began at the black-tie evening auction.
The items were among over 1,400 lots of Mercury memorabilia up for grabs over the next week, with the famous auction houseâs facade decorated with a huge moustache for the occasion.
The 59 lots sold on Wednesday brought in £12.2 million (US$15.4 million), Sothebyâs said, adding that each one went for more than double the estimated price.
Mercuryâs Yamaha quarter-tail piano went for £1.7 million, including buyerâs premium and fees, while the manuscript for the epic hit song âBohemian Rhapsodyâ fetched £1.3 million.
Auctioneer Oliver Barker called the âBohemian Rhapsodyâ lyrics â contained in 15-pages of pencil and ballpoint pen remarks â a âmodern cultural iconâ.
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The manuscript also reveals that Mercury, who died from Aids in 1991, originally intended to call the song âMongolian Rhapsodyâ.
Mercuryâs cherished baby grand was purchased by the charismatic star in 1975 after an exhaustive six-month search for âthe ideal instrument to bring to lifeâ his compositions.