We jammin’! Bob Marley’s guitar sells for US$153,600
A guitar once owned by Bob Marley sold for US$153,600 at auction last week.
The sale price of the 1975 Ovation 1612-4
Custom Balladeer acoustic electric guitar exceeded the estimate of between
US$80,000 and US$100,000 when sold at The Icons & Idols Trilogy: Rock ‘N’
Roll auction by Julien’s Auctions on December 1 to December 1 and 2.
The instrument was sold with a letter of
authorisation from Jonathon Olsen, the son of Benji Levy, who left it to him
prior to his death.
The auction house’s website states, “Levy and Marley became friends after they met at a car
dealership in Jamaica where Levy was working. Levy was trying to persuade
Marley that he should purchase a BMW. When Marley asked why that particular
car, in a moment of inspiration, Levy explained that the initials BMW actually
stood for Bob Marley and the Wailers! Apparently, the guitar’s neck was damaged
when Marley and his girlfriend Cindy Breakspeare were staying in a Mayfair,
London, hotel circa 1979 and got into an argument and Breakspeare hit Marley
with the guitar. Marley gave the guitar to Levy who had the guitar repaired.”
