Christie’s is auctioning off late billionaire Jim Irsay’s guitar collection today. Experts think it might bring in over $1 billion. Around 400 objects will hit the block, and about half are guitars once owned by Kurt Cobain, The Beatles, and Prince.Kurt Cobain’s 1969 Fender Mustang stands out. He played it in Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, and it could fetch between $2.5 million and $5 million. The sale is split into four parts. First comes a Hall of Fame group with anchor items. Then there’s an Icons of Pop Culture section full of memorabilia. Third is an Icons of Music batch packed with electric and acoustic guitars. An online segment wraps things up, offering autographed items, smaller instruments, and historical documents at lower prices.The Beatles’ logo drumhead from their Ed Sullivan Show debut will also go up for bids. It’s estimated to sell for $1 million to $2 million. That 1964 performance pulled in 73 million viewers. Other items include Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics for “” and a prop golden ticket from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and the Wilson volleyball from Cast Away.“They deserve the kind of the pedestal that we give to art as well,” said Amelia Walker, specialist head of private and iconic collections at Christie’s, to the . “Because they are not only works of art in terms of their creation, but what they have created, what their owners have created with them — it’s the purest form of art.”The former Indianapolis Colts CEO passed away at age 65 last May. His collecting started in 2001 when he spent $2.4 million on the original 120-foot scroll for Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.Some auction money will go to charities that the businessman backed when he was alive. Walker tuned up many guitars before the sale, and most still work. You can see all auctioned items and even bid on some of them on in a clear, straightforward, fan-friendly style for a music news website. Use simple words and short sentences. Keep the important details, but remove filler and unnecessary phrases. Do not mention the original source. Make it sound like a casual article for readers who love music news, concerts, and band updates. Keep it around 300 words. You must only respond with the modified content.
