A set of David Bowie’s handwritten lyrics to his song The Jean Genie has been auctioned for £57,000.
The lyrics, dated 1972, were originally gifted by Bowie to an avid fan and David Bowie fan club founder Neal Peters.
The song, released in 1972 as the lead single from his sixth studio album Aladdin Sane, tells the story of Jean Genie, who “sneaked into the city, using lasers”.
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Handwritten lyrics for The Jean Genie (Omega Auctions/PA)
Handwritten lyrics for The Jean Genie (Omega Auctions/PA)
After being sold by Merseyside-based Omega Auctions on Tuesday, auction house Paul Fairweather said: “We are very pleased with the price achieved for this historic set of lyrics.”
The lyrics are written over 18 lines on a piece of A4 paper, which also features Bowie’s title, signature and date.
American fan Mr Peters founded the first David Bowie fan club, based in New York City, in 1973 and was later penned by his idol.
The lyrics were also accompanied by a 2009 letter on Neal Peters Collection stationery detailing how Bowie gave the lyrics to Mr Peters, along with some photocopied material relating to the verse. Bowie and Mr Peters fan club.
Prior to the sale, the lyrics were estimated to sell for between £50,000 and £70,000, said Dan Hampson, director of auctions at Omega Auctions: “The seller has owned this wonderful set for several years and decided to sold after seeing the incredible price hit when we sold Starman lyrics last year.”
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David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, 1972 (PA)
David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, 1972 (PA)
In September last year, music and entertainment specialists Omega Auctions also sold a set of lyrics written by Bowie for his hit Starman for £203,500, including buyer’s premium.
The song was on the concept album Ziggy Stardust, which made Bowie an international pop and rock star, and was released as a single in 1972.
In 2019, Bowie’s first demo singing Starman sold for £51,000. During the demo, Bowie can be heard telling guitarist Mick Ronson, who passed away in 1993, that he still hadn’t finished the song when he tried to finish the demo.
David Bowie, born David Jones in post-war Brixton, died at the age of 69 on January 10, 2016.
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https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/david-bowies-handwritten-lyrics-for-the-jean-genie-make-57000-at-auction-42331482.html David Bowie’s handwritten lyrics for The Jean Genie fetch £57,000 at auction
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