BLABBERMOUTH.NET
Julien's Auctions, the world-record breaking auction house to the stars, has announced that the guitar played by
Kurt Cobain during
NIRVANA's acclaimed
"MTV Unplugged In New York" performance will be sold at their
"Music Icons" event taking place on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20, 2020 live in Beverly Hills and online at
JuliensAuctions.com.
Cobain played this 1959 Martin D-18E in what would become
NIRVANA's most legendary performance (seen in cover above). In a live taping for the popular
"MTV Unplugged" series on November 18, 1993, approximately five months before his death,
Cobain chose this guitar to paint what
Rolling Stone called "his last self-portrait."
NIRVANA's acoustic performance that night produced one of the greatest live albums of all time,
"MTV Unplugged In New York". Cuts from the album, released seven months after
Cobain's death, would go on to become the most celebrated and defining versions of
NIRVANA's songs,
"About A Girl",
"All Apologies",
"Come As You Are" and
"Dumb", as well as covers of
David Bowie's
"The Man Who Sold the World",
THE MEAT PUPPETS'
"Lake Of Fire" and a haunting rendition of
Lead Belly's
"Black Girl" renamed
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night".
"MTV Unplugged in New York" debuted at No. 1 on the U.S.
Billboard chart and is consistently ranked among the top ten live albums of all time.
Cobain's mastery of this guitar along with
NIRVANA's flawless acoustic and vocal performance propelled the
"MTV Unplugged In New York" album to multi-platinum certification and won the
Grammy Award for "Best Alternative Music Album" in 1996. It was the seventh of only 302 D-18Es built by
Martin and was customized by
Cobain who added a Bartolini pickup to the soundhole. The starting estimate for the guitar is one million U.S. dollars.
In addition, the sale of the guitar comes with its original hard-shell case decorated by
Cobain with a flyer from the punk rock band
POISON IDEA's 1990 album
"Feel The Darkness". Three baggage claim ticket stubs are attached to the handle, along with an
Alaska Airlines sticker affixed to the case. The storage compartment of the case also contains
Cobain's half used pack of
Martin guitar strings, three guitar picks, and his suede "stash" bag decorated with a miniature silver spoon, fork, and knife.
Fans can also have a chance to view the rock 'n' roll artifact in the window display of the Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus beginning on May 15 until May 31, then at Julien's Auctions Gallery in Beverly Hills from June 15 through June 19 before the auction.
"
Julien's Auctions is proud to offer this historic guitar from
Kurt Cobain, who upended the music industry and pop culture at large with his mythic performance fronting
NIRVANA on
'MTV Unplugged In New York'," said
Darren Julien, president/chief executive officer of
Julien's Auctions. "This important guitar has earned its rightful place in rock 'n' roll history as the instrument played by one of rock's most influential musicians and icons in one of the greatest and most memorable live performances of all time."
In addition, a black custom made and smashed Fender Stratocaster guitar used by
Kurt Cobain while performing with
NIRVANA on the 1994
"In Utero" tour (estimate: $60,000-$80,000), a metallic silver lame long sleeve button-down shirt worn by the artist in
NIRVANA's 1993
"Heart-Shaped Box" music video (estimate: $10,000-$20,000) and a copy of
NIRVANA's 1989
"Bleach" CD cover signed "
Kurdt" and inscribed with drawings by
Cobain (estimate: $1,000-$2,000), will also be offered in the auction. Other items from
NIRVANA's
"MTV Unplugged In New York" performance will also be up for auction, including the typed set list used by
Cobain featuring the songs
"About A Girl" and
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" (estimate: $4,000-$6,000); a group of three typed lyric sheets for the songs
"Plateau",
"Man Who Sold The World" and
"Lake Of Fire" (estimate: $4,000-$6,000); a single sheet of handwritten lyrics to the song
"Oh Me" (estimate: $4,000-$6,000); a typed letter from
NIRVANA's management company
Gold Mountain to
Cobain regarding the
"MTV Unplugged" set list (estimate: $2,000-$3,000) and
Cobain's winter 1993 issue of
"Lowest Common Denominator" (LCD) newsletter published by independent radio broadcaster
WFMU, which he was seen reading at the
"MTV Unplugged" rehearsals with
NIRVANA (estimate: $2,000-$3,000).
Julien's Auctions has broken world records with the sale of
Kurt Cobain's memorabilia, including
Cobain's cardigan worn on
"MTV Unplugged In New York", which sold for a record $334,000, his
"In Utero" tour Fender Mustang guitar which sold for $340,000, his cardigan worn on his last photoshoot which sold for $75,000 and a
NIRVANA paper plate set list written in
Cobain's handwriting which sold for a record $22,400.
Registration is required to bid in this online auction and can be done in person at the exhibition, or online before the sale at the
JuliensAuctions.com.