Guernsey’s will host an auction of pieces from the estate of celebrated blues guitarist BB King.
King (1925-2015) became famous for his lyrical guitar playing and had a major influence on the development of rock ‘n roll.
King named his Gibson guitars Lucille
While he started out on the black Chitlin’ Circuit in the 1940s, by the late 1960s he was increasingly well known among white audiences.
In 1969 he opened for the Rolling Stones on their US tour.
Among the highlights of the auction are three “Lucille” guitars that he used over the course of his career.
Lucille was the name he gave to a Gibson L-30 archtop he rescued from a burning dancehall in 1949.
The fire was started after a pail of flaming kerosene was knocked over, as two men fought over a woman named Lucille.
King would pass the name on to all his Gibsons over the years.
Others have sold for between a few thousand and tens of thousands of dollars. No estimates are available, but these examples look likely to sell for around the $30,000-50,000 mark.
Also included are a collection of King's colourful stage jackets.
King had these handmade in Hong Kong and wore them regularly during live performances.
They are likely to make somewhere in the region of $4,000-8,000 apiece.
No date has been set for the auction.
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