Over the years, some remarkable guitar collections have featured in the pages of this magazine. READ ARTICLE, Smells like team spirit: Billionaire Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay shares his collection of rare guitars at a free exhibition after splurging $4.4 million on Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's Fender Mustang READ ARTICLE, "Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is displaying his world-renowned collection of historic memorabilia to the public for the first time in the Big Apple. It sold for $50,000 (and probably could have been obtained for $50 before Russia invaded Ukraine). We never put it in harms way. The manuscript is now part of the Jim Irsay Collection, which is currently touring the US, John Coltrane's saxophone is one of the more iconic pieces of the Jim Irsay Collection given its historical significance to jazz. Its a service of the arts to the community.. 'But out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favourite. Handwritten documents and artifacts from womens suffrage pioneer Susan B. Anthony. Ill never let that happen again.. $567,000. Its been that way ever since the cavemen were around the fire and they scrawled on the walls, they beat things there was always this feeling of self-expression. Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts of the N.F.L., has spent $100 million buying one-of-a-kind sports, music and pop culture memorabilia. It was in his place, in his flat. If Irsays fondest wish comes true, his wildly eclectic collection will one day reside in its own wildly eclectic museum. Jim Irsay, owner of the NFLs Indianapolis Colts, is bringing his collection to the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center on March 4, 2023. The billionaire expressed interest in building a serious collection. Irsay hopes that life experiences, ranging from outreach or a Jim Irsay Collection concert, can ultimately benefit those who are in need. Nearly 500 bidders from around the world took part in the sale, including NFL owner Jim Irsay, who added one of Schon's most famous instruments to his own world-renowned collection: the 1977 black Gibson Les Paul played on 1981's chart-topping 10-million-selling . And theres no sign of the pace slowing any time soon the collection continues to expand and the plans for it get more and more ambitious. Theres so many things. I am only a steward of this collection, so its my job to share it with as many people as I can.. Its not just guitars, either. Muhammad Alis 1965 first walkout robe that bore his new name, and his boxing shoes from the 1975 Thrilla in Manilla vs. Joe Frazier. He inherited the franchise from his father, a man who to this day is still reviled by a contingent of Baltimore diehards for moving the Colts out of town. In 2014, Irsay was suspended by the NFL for six games and fined $500,000 for driving while intoxicated. Among the collection are instruments owned and used by The Beatles, Prince, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Johnny Cash, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Coltrane, The Edge, and others. When youre worth more than $3 billion, you can acquire some cool stuff. A whole story could be written about Irsays guitar collection, which includes Kurt Cobains guitar from Nirvanas Smells Like Teen Spirit music video and ones played by Prince, Jerry Garcia, George Harrison, Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Jimmy Page. Of course we did. 'Lovely guy, and his wife came and it was cool,' Irsay said. You outbid me. Irsay established himself long ago as a connoisseur of cultural and rock & roll artifacts. The Jim Irsay Collection & Exhibit includes items such as: Muhammad Alis 1974 Rumble in the Jungle championship belt, a 1953 Jackie Robinson bat, Sylvester Stallones original manuscript notes for the movie Rocky, and instruments by Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Kurt Cobain. Like his father and grandfathers struggles, Irsay is no stranger to alcoholism, addiction and mental health challenges himself. And then we have people on retainer like Jim Canary, whos a paper conservator at Indiana University. Here are some selections from the roughly 9 million oddball facts and anecdotes surrounding it. Jack Kerouac to Jackie Robinson. The Gretsch becomes the third Beatles guitar in Irsay's collection. , Irsay dealt with addiction using prescription drugs after his college football career at SMU was ravaged by injury. For the small audience in attendance, its a thrill to hear such a storied guitar played at close quarters in a different musical context. I was bidding on it. The guitar promptly ignited a furious bidding war, which Irsays representative won by offering the max $3.75 million. At a Christie's auction for guitars and other memorabilia owned by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, Irsay spent over $5. Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list. READ ARTICLE, "The list of items [in The Jim Irsay Collection], spanning centuries, is extraordinary. "Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is displaying his world-renowned collection of historic memorabilia to the public for the first time in the Big Apple. Though Lennons time with the guitar was relatively brief, the double-cutaway 6120 featured on the groundbreaking Paperback Writer and Rain sessions in April 1966. Great Eastern FX Co. Focus Fuzz review: The best of all possible fuzz worlds in a single box? Its more of the spirit and what comes to me., Nevertheless, he doesnt win every bidding war. Colts owner Jim Irsay poses during a collection event in 2022. He paid $965,000 for the Newport Stratocaster Bob Dylan played at the 1965 Newport Festival, when he and his band went electric for the first time; dropped $4.4 million for Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobains Fender Mustang; and $4 million for Pink Floyd guitarist David Gimours black Fender Stratocaster. The band, which features names like Mike Wanchicon guitar (John Mellencamp), Mike Millson bass (founding member of R.E.M),and Kenny Wayne Shepherdon guitar, will be joined by special guest Ann Wilson of Heart. This fall, its gone on a national tour, with stops in Indianapolis (natch), New York City, and Los Angeles, to name a few locations. So when the Colts boss saw Allen at an event in the following days, Irsay figured he should offer a 'thank you' to Allen, whom he mistakenly assumed had stayed out of the bidding. Copyright 2023 Indianapolis Monthly, All Rights Reserved. It sold for $50,000 (and probably could have been obtained for $50 before Russia invaded Ukraine). Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay will display his world-renowned collection of iconic rock memorabilia, American history and pop culture at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center on Saturday, March 4, 2023. My biggest regret was when I lost Wilson, the volleyball from Cast Away. On September 9, Irsays Collection will be on display at Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor, entered rehab and was suspended for six games and fined $500,000 by the NFL. Getty And these will become not inanimate objects. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been steadily assembling one of the most interesting privately owned collections of artifacts in the U.S. In the interests of making the collection more accessible to the public, a series of pop-up exhibits and concerts in the USA and Europe are set to be the precursor to the opening of a museum akin to Seattles MoPOP, which was founded by Microsofts Paul Allen. 'It's so eclectic because it's everything.'" When I talk to a lot of artists I know and I start trying to get them to talk about the past a little bit, a lot of them are like, Im not interested in that. pepper's on it. The event was free for the public to attend, provided they signed up before RSVPs reached capacity. He's responsible for letting Irsay know about a guitar's significance . Indeed, hes not shy about allowing his numerous musical celebrity friends to play guitars from his collection, and will occasionally do it himself. Yet rather than accumulating expensive toys in some crass display of wealth, talking with Irsay reveals that he has a deep love and appreciation, not only for the timeless music these instruments were used to create but also what they represent as cultural and indeed countercultural objects. IM BLESSED. The collection is highlighted by musical instruments and items owned and used by the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, The Edge, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and other icons, as well as signed photos, handwritten lyrics, and other historic music memorabilia. Those registering for tickets can also contribute to Irsays Kick the Stigma campaign, an initiative to raise mental health awareness. I try to go at the very best of the best.. He wrote Sgt. campaign to encourage others to use mental health resources when needed. The guitars are the latest additions to Irsay's instrument collection, which already boasted an orange 1963 Gretsch guitar once owned by John Lennon (purchased for $530,000 in 2015) and the . Despite their extraordinary value, Irsay is relaxed when handling these historic instruments. His travels have taken him to Puerto Vallarta, Costa Rica, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, but he's happiest at home with his wife, two daughters, and dog. When I first got the [On The Road] scroll, Rolling Stonesaid that I would destroy it! Irsay says, laughing. In 2022, according to the release, Guitar Magazine highlighted Irsay's collection of guitars as "The Greatest Guitars on Earth." Colts' Jim Irsay hosting free event in downtown Las Vegas . I began this collection to preserve, protect and share historic artifacts with others in hopes of telling stories of our shared past and culture and inspiring people to dream big and strive for great things in life, said Jim Irsay. The Indianapolis public will get the chance to see all his memorabilia, free of charge. The collection didnt begin as a means to inherit valuable objects, but rather to share music with others. Cobain said of it in his final interview with Guitar World: 'I'm left-handed, and it's not very easy to find reasonably priced, high-quality left-handed guitars. Irsay's collection also includes Jerry Garcia's prized 1979 Doug Irwin 'Tiger' guitar (upper right), The Jim Irsay collection will be shown for free in New York on Friday after stops in Washington, LA, Austin and Nashville. Its easy to see why a literary loose cannon like Thompson would want Irsay to purchase the manuscript (which he did, for $2.4 million). This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Indeed, hes not shy about allowing his numerous musical celebrity friends to play guitars from his collection, and will occasionally do it himself. The Dish So much of what were about as a world, as humanity, is tied to music. 'Trust me, you and I won't be here, but 400 years from now, they'll be able to have a hologram connected to this, and it will tell all the stories of the places [the instrument] was. We've received your submission. The storied collection of Jim Irsay, Owner/CEO of the Indianapolis Colts. And then we have access to other resources to help us with preservation, control and security factors. Almost alarmingly so. Irsays lineup of famous guitars has been called the greatest on earth. Its hard to argue with this assessment. 'I'm a man of integrity, and I didn't bid on it.'. His collection debuts at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, which is also free to the public, along with guitars and musical instruments used by the Beatles, Prince and Kurt Cobain; 1823 edition of the Declaration of . Outside of music, the collection includes such historic items as: Irsay, owner & CEO of the NFLs Indianapolis Colts and an active philanthropist, regularly loans items to museums, nonprofits and other organizations for display and research.Items have been displayed at the U.S.s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), The Lincoln Memorial, the world-famous Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Indiana State Museum; as well as at The Centre Pompidou (Paris), the British Library (London), Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome) and other locations around the world. This is my effort to make the world a better place. Excited Indianapolis Colts fans were treated to a star-studded concert celebrating the Jim Irsay Collection and the kickoff of Colts season. And regardless of your area of interest, there will be something there that will blow your mind." [1] Over the years, he's assembled a massive collection of historic artifacts, memorabilia, and instruments from music history, including guitars played by Prince, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and more. There was an event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City earlier this year; a date is set for Indianapolis next month. Although the museums permanent location hasnt yet been finalised, for the 62-year-old Colts owner, its all about inspiring young people to pick up the baton. I wouldnt be here right now without that., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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Once Colts owner Jim Irsay's father, Robert, passed away in 1997, he began a unique collection that is now worth millions. Irsays collection also includes Jack Kerouacs original 36-metre typewritten manuscript for On The Road ($2.4m), Hunter S Thompsons Red Shark convertible, Abraham Lincolns walking cane and an original Apple II manual signed by Steve Jobs in 1980. I've only owned two of them.'. I want to make that very fucking clear. During the course of our photoshoot, he not only pretends to smash the Black Strat but he also mischievously tucks a lit cigarette under the strings behind the nut. Before the time comes to stop the tape, we have to ask our host the question that invariably comes up when two Beatles obsessives engage in conversation. They become alive when theyre playing.. He purchased a 1966 Vox guitar , played by Lennon and George Harrison, for $408,000 at auction in 2013. In addition to music artifacts, Irsays collection also features Abraham Lincolns pocket knife, Jackie Robinsons game-used bat, a lottery ticket signed by John Hancock and Muhammad Alis championship belt. Its so important to me that in the museum, people can play things and touch them, he told guitar.com. After decades of bidding in absentia, hes developed something of a sixth sense about how much an item will go for. . The billionaire expressed interest in building a serious collection. My sincere thanks to Steve Campbell and Larry Hall for the access to both Jim Irsay and his mind-boggling collection. How you experience it when you walk in? But I dont possess it. We touch down in Indiana to pay him a visit. nytimes.com N.F.L. Specific piano movers that come recommended by Steinway. ''', Irsay's collection also includes the robe Muhammad Ali wore before his 1965 rematch with Sonny Liston inLewiston, Maine, Irsay told DailyMail.com that his favorite piece is John Lennon's piano: 'I'd say John Lennon's piano is probably my favorite thing that I have, musically. The collection also includes handwritten lyrics, signed photos, and other memorabilia from the artists. In seeking out and exhibiting objects from the past, Irsay aims to inspire young musicians to create the iconic music of the future. Upon follow-up, he said it was priceless, and that if a Saudi sheikh offered him $1 billion, the answer would be a flat no. (Cobain committed suicide in 1994 after years of mental health and substance abuse issues). He typically sets a ceiling on how much he wants to spend and leaves the actual in-person bidding to an intermediary. The comments below have not been moderated. I look at it (as if) I own nothing because you never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul, Irsay said. James Irsay (born June 13, 1959) is an American businessman, known for being the principal owner, chairman and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). Its way bigger than just saying, Oh, thats a nice song. Im blessed. Irsay owned four guitars, including a 1942 Martin D-18 originally owned by Elvis Presley, when he met McKinney. Some might know Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay as just that the owner of a football team. 'I got this long text: ''Oh my God, it was crazy,''' Irsay told DailyMail.com, repeating the message he received from a conduit after the final gavel. To settle a bet, John Lennon showed up and played three songs in what would prove to be his final public performance. An 1823 William J. Shepherd may prefer heavier strings and an action with a little more fight but it doesnt stop him from sounding pretty spectacular with David Gilmours longtime number one plugged into a vintage 5E3 Deluxe. Linebacker Shaquille Leonard, actor Rob Lowe and interim head coach Jeff Saturday have each advocated for the initiative, among others. I see the seekers in my mind walking across the old, beautiful lands of this country 300 years ago, not with muskets, but with guitars slung over their backs. Bought at auction in 2018 for another $2.4m, Irsay acknowledges that the text and its famous 12-step program has literally saved millions of lives. READINTERVIEW, "The focus [of the collection] is on powerful people who changed the world. One guy dropped out and then the [other] guy was at [$3.25 million] and then he went to [$3.5 million], and then we went to [$3.75 million] and then silence silence silence'''. 'All of us in the guitar-collecting business were like: ''What? Sometimes you might think Im coldhearted. Stone printing of the Declaration of Independence, considered one of the first exact facsimiles of the actual document. It's amazing to have that piece of history because Lennon was so major', Much of Irsay's collection centers around his lifelong passion for the Beatles. The Jim Irsay collection can be seen at Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday and will continue touring, Irsay's intuition admittedly fell short in 2019, when he paid a record $4 million for Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's 'Black Strat' (pictured) a Fender Stratocaster that was drawing bids from 61 different countries, Bob Dylan plays a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar for the first time on stage as he performs at the Newport Folk Festival on July 25, 1965 in Newport, Rhode Island. Watching this collection come together over about 25 years has been a beautiful thing. Style 000-42 guitar (Eric Clapton - 'MTV Unplugged'), 1963 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 guitar (Lennon), 1964 Fender Stratocaster guitar (Bob Dylan - 'Dylan Goes Electric'), 1979 Yamaha BB-1200 bass guitar (Paul McCartney), 2002 DeArmond by Guild M-75T guitar (Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page), 1969 Fender Mustang (Nirvana's Kurt Cobain - 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'). He now calls Las Vegas home, but has journeyed from the sunshine of California and the rain in Seattle, to the humidity of Arkansas and the snow of Minnesota. Its hard to argue with this assessment. Like any music lover or fan I want to try to have fun with it and share it, he continues.