A piano and other items used by Freddie Mercury will be auctioned in October as part of producer Reinhold Mack’s collection, with some lots expected to fetch hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The sale features 82 items from Mack’s archive. The German producer worked closely with Queen and collaborated with Mercury over many years.
Among the lots is a Yamaha C3 grand piano from Musicland Studios in Munich. Mercury often used the instrument to compose solo material and some of Queen’s biggest songs, including Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
The piano was also played by a wide range of major artists, including Leonard Cohen, the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Donna Summer and Bryan Ferry. It is expected to sell for at least £200,000 (about €234,000).
Another item in the auction is an AKG C414 EB microphone used by Mercury during recording sessions at Musicland Studios. It is being offered with its original Sennheiser case and red XLR cable, and is estimated to sell for more than £40,000 (about €47,000).
The collection also includes Mercury’s handwritten lyrics for My Love Is Dangerous and Let’s Turn It On. Both songs appeared on his 1985 solo album.
A teddy bear that Mercury gave to Mack’s son will also go under the hammer. The items will go on display in London at the end of September. The auction is scheduled for 1 and 2 October.
