Julien’s Auctions Celebrates “Music Icons” with Exhibition Grand Opening at Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville May 15th

Exhibition Kicks Off Run-Up to Industry Leading Music Memorabilia Auction House’s Development Plans and New Headquarters in Music City

Grammy Award-Winning Music Executive Cristy Barber Appointed VP of Pop Culture & Business Development to Head Julien’s Expansion in Nashville

A Pantheon of the Greatest Stage-Played Guitars of All Time on Display in Nashville Before Historic Auction:

John Lennon’s Lost 1965 Help! Album Framus 12-String Hootenanny Acoustic Guitar Found in an Attic After 50 Years

Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson’s Historic 1965 Fender Telecaster Guitar

Randy Bachman’s "American Woman" 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard Guitar

Steve Jones’ Sex Pistols 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom Guitar

Mark Knopfler’s 1987 Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman Guitar Signed by Chet Atkins to Benefit The King’s Trust

Nashville Tennessean Article

Nashville, TN – (May 1st, 2024) –Julien’s Auctions, the industry-leading music memorabilia auction house, returns to Music City with an arsenal of some of the most historically important and greatest guitars ever played on stage, screen, and in studio in their exclusive Music Icons exhibition at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum running May 15th through May 18th.Fans, guitar aficionados and music collectors will have a chance to feast before their eyes a pantheon of legendary guitars played by rock gods, John Lennon, Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson, Randy Bachman, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, and Mark Knopfler on this tour stop before heading to New York for their final exhibition and auction at the two day Music Icons blockbuster taking place Wednesday, May 29th, and Thursday, May 30th, 2024 live at Hard Rock Cafe in New York and online at juliensauctions.com

After its outstanding inaugural Music auction in Nashville in 2023, which reaped two world records and million-dollar sales of the iconic and legendary guitars of Eric Clapton and Kurt Cobain, Julien’s presentation at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum marks the company’s growth strategy and presence in the area. In support of this commitment, Julien’s announced today that Cristy Barber, a Grammy Award-winning music executive based in Nashville, was appointed VP of Pop Culture & Business Development to head its expansion which includes the opening of its new Nashville headquarters and curation of Country Music auctions that will celebrate the genre’s rich musical heritage and the enduring legacies of its artists.

Cristy Barber has held leadership positions at Capitol Records, Columbia Records, Island Records and Elektra, having served as VP of Marketing and Promotions at VP Records, and President of the Marley Family-owned labels Tuff Gong/Ghetto Youths. Most recently she was the VP of Global Marketing & Brand Partnerships at Iconoclast, handling the legacies of artists like Tony Bennett, Robbie Robertson, and David Cassidy amongst others. Over the course of her career, she has worked with artists such as Jay-Z, Pharrell, Method Man & Redman, DMX, Sean Paul, and Beenie Man. Since her start in 1992, Cristy has an unparalleled track record of developing, growing, and promoting global artists – and managing their legacies.

This unparalleled exhibition of axes will be led by the historic re-appearance of John Lennon’s long-lost Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar. Long forgotten and believed to have been lost, this extraordinary guitar was recently found in an attic in the UK after being unseen for over 50 years and was unveiled to the world by Julien’s Auctions at Hard Rock® Cafe Piccadilly Circus in London at a press conference that was live streamed. Heard and seen in the recording of The Beatles’ Help! album and film and many of the Fab Four’s greatest hits from the 1960s, it is considered the most important Beatles guitar ever to come to market and is expected to make history not only as the highest-selling Beatles guitar but potentially the highest selling guitar ever sold at auction this May.

Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson’s historic 1965 Fender Telecaster guitar will electrify the exhibition. The Telecaster, lovingly referred to as the “workhorse,” burst onto the music scene making history as the guitar played by acoustic folk icon Bob Dylan when he “went electric” in 1966. The Telecaster broke ground on Blonde on Blonde, Isle of Wight, Music from Big Pink, The Band, Watkins Glen, Stage Fright, and more and a list of studio credits that includes the likes of Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Jesse Winchester, and of course, The Band.

Taking center stage will be Canadian rock maverick and founder of Bachman Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who, Randy Bachman’s 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, famously known as “The American Woman Guitar,” the axe that gave birth to one of rock and roll’s greatest songs of all time. The well-traveled storied Les Paul with a sunburst maple top is the centerpiece of Bachman’s collection of over 200 of his most coveted and museum-quality guitars is heading to auction from his five-decade career that brought the world a catalog of rock classics that includes “These Eyes,” “Laughing,” “Undun,” and “No Time.”

Hurtling out of the mosh pit is the original and legendary 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom, owned and stage-played by punk rock behemoth Steve Jones of The Sex Pistols. This heavily play-worn instrument bears authentic marks of its rebel past, from its cigarette smoke-yellowed finish to visible breaks and repairs from the Pistols’ performances of punk anthems such as “Anarchy in the UK” and “God Save the Queen.”

Music Icons’ charity initiatives will be part of the celebration with a special item offered by The King’s Trust: Mark Knopfler’s 1987 wine red Gibson Custom Shop Edition Chet Atkins Country Gentleman semi-hollow body electric given to the Dire Straits legend by Chet Atkins himself and signed by the Country Music Royal who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound.

“Julien’s is thrilled to be back in Nashville to host this incredible exhibition of some of the greatest guitars in all of rock history at the world-class Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum. This event welcomes enthusiasts and collectors to discover Rock and Roll’s musical heritage through these pieces of music history ahead of their auction in May,” David Goodman, CEO of Julien’s Auctions. “The showcase represents Julien’s growing presence and development in Music City led by the new addition to our senior leadership team, Cristy Barber, whose dynamic experience and award-winning career in the music industry will launch Julien’s as the pre-eminent auction house in this marketplace.”

MUSIC ICONS PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS

Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum
401 Gay Street
Nashville, Tennessee 37219

Wednesday, May 15th, 2024 – Saturday, May 18th, 2024

Open: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central Time daily

https://www.musicianshalloffame.com/

LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTION & EXHIBITION LOCATION

Hard Rock Cafe New York

1501 Broadway-Times Square

New York, NY 10036

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024 – Tuesday, May 28th, 2024

Free to the public: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time daily

Music Icons

Property from the Collection of Randy Bachman

Wednesday, May 29th

10:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Music Icons

Thursday, May 30th

10:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Placing Bids
There are four ways to bid in Live Auctions:

1. Bid with Julien's Auctions online.

1. Bid over the telephone through an auction house representative.

1. Bid in person in the room at our auction events.

1. Bid in advance by absentee bid. Absentee bid forms are available by calling 310-836-1818

Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum

Joe Chambers was an accomplished musician and songwriter, and, as a couple, Joe and Linda Chambers opened a chain of guitar stores, Chambers Guitars. The couple co-founded and opened the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in 2006 on 6th Avenue South. They relocated to what is now known as the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum at Nashville’s Historic Municipal Auditorium in 2013 and also houses the GRAMMY Gallery. The museum, revered by artists including Keith Richards, Ringo Starr, Garth Brooks, and Neil Young, and recently added exhibits featuring Glen Campbell, Alan Parsons, Marshall Tucker Band and drummer, Stan Lynch. The mission of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum is to honor all great musicians regardless of genre or instruments. This is done by exhibiting the actual instrument they used to record some of the most iconic songs in recorded history. Not only does the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum entertain local and international visitors but also educates them about the musicians who actually played on the “soundtracks of their lives.” The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum is a 501 (c) (3) charity organization.

Julien's Auctions

For the moments that matter.

You know that moment when the lights dim, right before your favorite band starts playing? Or that feeling right before the credits roll on a movie that changed your whole world in an instant? The air is charged with anticipation and words are never going to do it justice because you just really had to be there.

At Julien's, we exist to bring those moments back into your life through iconic artifacts and one-of-a-kind collections. Whether collaborating directly with artists, partnering with legendary estates, or working closely with discerning collectors, our auctions make culture pop with the promise of discovery and reconnection. From Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Ringo Starr to Lady Gaga, Banksy, and Kurt Cobain-from LA to the world, we are where originals find their kind.

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