The handwritten lyrics for the classic David Bowie track Starman, have sold for £200,000 at auction, five times the original estimate.
Released in 1972, the track featured on the late singer’s Ziggy Stardust concept album. The record subsequently earned Bowie rock and pop music stardom.
The lyrics were purchased by a bidder called Olivier Varenne, who is the director of acquisitions and alliances and collections at the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania.
Originally expected to sell for a meagre £40,000, the lyrics for the famous Bowie track sold for £203,500, including the buyers’ premium.
They had been previously on display as part of the V&A Museum’s David Bowie Is collection. They had been owned by the same person since the 1980s.
“historic piece of memorabilia”
Omega Auctions’ Paul Fairweather claimed that the interest in the handwritten lyrics was “unprecedented”.
“We had almost unprecedented interest from around the world for this historic piece of memorabilia”, he said. “We had five telephone lines in operation for the sale as well as bidders online and in the room”.
“We’re very pleased with the incredible price achieved and are sure the lyrics will be rightly prized and treasured by the winning bidder”.
This sheet of lyrics also includes amendments by Bowie himself, including changes and spelling mistakes. Its an authentic item.
SOLD!
£203,500 inc buyers premium.
Wow! pic.twitter.com/KDzAB5gwSM
— Omega Auctions (@OmegaAuctions) September 27, 2022
Back in August Bowie who passed away in 2016, was also named Britain’s most influential artist of the past 50 years. A list which also included Elton John, Boy George, Spice Girls, alongside actors Steve Coogan and Michaela Coel.
The list also featured comedians Victoria Wood and Ricky Gervais, along with singer Skunk Anansie, Glastonbury’s first ever black headliner in 1999.
“As our number one artist, we wanted to honour David Bowie in a way that would feel fitting to the scale of his influence”, Sky Arts director Phil Edgar-Jones said.
“The artwork that has been created by Joe Black honours the ways that Bowie’s influence transcends genres, through guitar picks with cut-out designs of music, art, stage and screen”.
