David Bowie handwritten lyrics could top $100K at auction

David Bowie handwritten lyrics could top $100K at auction

That’s a lot of ch-ch-ch-ch-change.

A handwritten lyric sheet for David Bowie’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” and “Suffragette City” has hit the auction block, potentially fetching up to $126,000, the BBC reports.

The two tracks are featured on Bowie’s 1972 album “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.” The sheet, which includes Bowie’s corrections, drafts and notes, is set to go on sale Tuesday via Omega Auctions.

The memorabilia was once displayed by London’s V&A Museum before touring the world from 2013 to 2018 as part of an exhibit.

Other items for sale include a lyric book once owned by Oasis’ Noel Gallagher that features lyrics from “She’s Electric,” “Going Nowhere” and “Champagne Supernova,” among other hits.

A handwritten lyric sheet for David Bowie’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” and “Suffragette City” has hit the auction block, potentially fetching up to $126,000, the BBC reports.
Nigel Wright/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)
The sheet, which includes Bowie’s corrections, drafts and notes, is set to go on sale Tuesday via Omega Auctions.
Omega Auctions

A page containing handwritten lyrics by The Doors frontman Jim Morrison, who died in 1971, is also available for purchase.

Bowie died in 2016 at the age of 69 following a liver cancer battle.

The BBC reports that a lyric sheet for “Starman” previously sold via Omega Auctions for around $208,000.

Bowie died in 2016 at the age of 69 following a liver cancer battle.
Redferns

Last year, Bowie’s estate sold his publishing catalog to Warner Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group, for a reported $250 million.

“All of us at Warner Chappell are immensely proud that the David Bowie estate has chosen us to be the caretakers of one of the most groundbreaking, influential, and enduring catalogs in music history,” Warner Chappell Music co-chair and CEO Guy Moot said in a statement in January 2022. “These are not only extraordinary songs, but milestones that have changed the course of modern music forever.”

Chappell’s deal came to fruition around the launch of “Bowie 75,” a year-long celebration marking Bowie’s 75th birthday.

Immersive pop-up shops opened in London and NYC, while four archival Bowie live performance recordings were reimagined in 360 Reality Audio.

“The fan response to Bowie 75 has been nothing short of amazing,” Lawrence Peryer, producer of Bowie 75, said last year.

“David was always on the cutting edge of the latest developments in technology, so it was a natural fit to collaborate with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio team to bring fans a whole new way to experience his music. The reimagining of David’s music, which can be experienced at the pop-ups or via streaming, has given his lifelong fans and new listeners alike a reason to celebrate.”

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