An acoustic guitar signed by pop star Taylor Swift and a grand piano played on stage by late Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVie are to go under the hammer as part of a charity auction ahead of the Grammy Awards.
The auction will be held at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on February 4, preceding the 66th annual awards.
More than 75 one-of-a-kind items including instruments, outfits, personal items and memorabilia have been donated by some of the world’s biggest musicians for the auction, including Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney.
The 81-year-old is offering a signed copy of his 2021 book, The Lyrics: 1965 To Present, that will be personalised to the winning bidder.
Meanwhile, British pop star Harry Styles has donated a 1999 Gretsch White Falcon hollow body electric guitar, signed and dated 2023 with a drawing of a heart and swirl by the singer-songwriter.
The items join Swift’s Baby Taylor acoustic guitar in natural finish signed by the singer, and McVie’s Yamaha C3 Baby Grand Piano played on stage and named after Fleetwood Mac’s beloved track Songbird – written by McVie.
Auction house Julien’s Auctions said the late star performed on the piano for two decades between the tours for Rumours and The Dance in 1977 and 1997.
The auction will raise money for leading music charity MusiCares, which serves as a safety net “supporting the health and welfare of the music community”.
It will also feature The Cure frontman Robert Smith’s signed RS-1000 stage artist edition signature Schecter model acoustic guitar, which he played at The Cure’s May 2023 Hollywood Bowl performance during their tour.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has donated his handwritten set list including hit songs Paradise, Clocks, Yellow and more from their live performance at the Rose Bowl in California in October.
Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s Auctions, said: “During this special time of year, we look forward to presenting with our esteemed partner MusiCares some of the biggest and best pieces of music memorabilia at our annual charity initiative that celebrates our universal love of music and the arts while furthering a good cause.
“There are so many unique and incredible items for every music fan and collector from icons such as Christine McVie and Taylor Swift to Paul McCartney with many more to be announced.”
Laura Segura, executive director of MusiCares, said: “Music gives so much to the world, and we at MusiCares are honoured to have a partner like Julien’s helping us raise funds for music professionals in need.
“With such iconic collectables being offered, bidders are not only gaining pieces of music history, they are also giving back to the music ecosystem with each piece purchased.”