London – The collection of esteemed Irish musician and songwriter Rory Gallagher (1948-1995) comes to auction on 17 October at Bonhams and the whole collection will be on view to the public for the first time ever from 12-17 October at Bonhams New Bond Street, London. Offered directly from the Gallagher family, the sale will consist of guitars, amps and accessories from Rory Gallagher's life and career.

Claire Tole-Moir, Head of Bonhams Popular Culture department, commented: "Rory Gallagher was one of the most revered guitarists of all time and he was a true inspiration to many. This sale offers fans a chance to own a piece of Rory's incredible legacy. We are also proud to present the whole collection together for the first time in history in an exhibition that's free and open to all."

Opening times for the exhibition: 12-13 October 11:00 - 15:00, 14 -16 October 09:00 - 17:00, and 17 October 09:00 - 11:00. No ticket is required.

The Rory Gallagher Online auction of accessories, comprising 90 lots, will run from 7-18 October on bonhams.com.

Dónal Gallagher, Rory's brother and former manager, commented: "After nearly thirty years since my brother Rory's passing, I now believe it's time for other people to cherish Rory's 'orphaned' 1961 Fender Stratocaster and the rest of his incredible instrument collection. Since 1995, I have always felt that there was a mission to be fulfilled to cement Rory's legacy and widen the knowledge of his music. So, in what is one of the most difficult and sensitive decisions to reach, I have decided to release of his instruments for sale, so that these emblems of his legacy can be enjoyed by others."

Leading the sale will be Rory Gallagher's legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster, which has an estimate of £700,000 - 1,000,000. Rory Gallagher bought the guitar for £100 on credit from the owner of Crowley's Music Store in Cork, Ireland in 1963. It became synonymous with Gallagher and its wear and worn finish have made it one of the world's most instantly recognisable electric guitars. It has featured in a number of landmark exhibitions, appeared on the cover of countless guitar magazines, and has been played by the likes of Johnny Marr and Joe Bonamassa.

Other highlights of the collection include:

• A Fender Telecaster Electric Guitar, 1966. Estimate: £120,000 - 150,000.

• A Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar, Known As Rory's 'Backup Strat', 1958. Estimate: £100,000 - 150,000.

• A Fender Esquire Electric Guitar, 1959. Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000.

• A Martin D-35 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, 1968. Estimate: £30,000 - 40,000.

• A Martin Mandolin, 1942. Estimate: £10,000 - 15,000.

• A Vox AC30 Top Boost Amplifier, 1960s. Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000.

• A Gretsch Corvette Electric Guitar, 1963. Estimate: £12,000 - 15,000.

• A Gibson Les Paul Junior Electric Guitar, 1958. Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000.

• A National Triolian Resonator Guitar, 1930. Estimate: £25,000 - 35,000.

• An Airline 'J.B. Hutto' Style Electric Guitar, 1965. Estimate: £12,000 - 15,000.

The sale will also feature a Chris Eccleshall Telecaster-Style Electric Guitar,1980s. Estimate: £4,000-5,000. This guitar was a gift from a fan to Rory. Rory used it on the track Continental Op, from the 1987 Defender album. A proportion of the proceeds from the sale of this guitar will be donated equally to the mental health charities, Mind and ICAP, by the Gallagher family in memory of John 'Jay Jay' Joyce, a dedicated Rory fan, who recently passed away.

Jack Matthews, Associate Director of Partnerships and Philanthropy at Mind, commented: "We are incredibly grateful to the Gallagher family for choosing to donate the proceeds from one of Rory Gallagher's guitars to Mind, especially given its sentimental value. Right now, Mind needs generous donations like this more than ever. Sadly, we are in the middle of a mental health crisis and so many people are still urgently waiting for support and not getting the help they need. The money raised through this auction will help us to keep our vital services running, including Mind's helplines and our online peer support community Side by Side, ensuring that we can be there for the people who need us."

The sale will also include a Fender Player Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar, donated by Fender to benefit The Music Venue Trust, a charity selected by the Gallagher family, dedicated to protecting, securing, and improving grassroots music venues across the UK. The guitar has been signed by a number of musicians who site Rory Gallagher as an influence, including David Gilmour, Johnny Marr, Ed O'Brien, Nile Rodgers, and James Bay, among others.

The sale comes as a new boxset, Rory Gallagher 'The BBC Collection', the definitive collection of Rory Gallagher's recorded performances at the BBC, is set to be released on 11 October. The 20 disc set celebrates the importance of Rory Gallagher, possibly the most recorded musician of the 1970s by the BBC. The set was amassed from the BBC archives and Rory Gallagher's own transcription discs and off-air cassette recordings, with over three quarters of the audio recordings never having been officially released before. More information can be found HERE.

Neil McCormick, writing of Rory Gallagher's legacy in the Autumn edition of Bonhams Magazine, said: "He was not just a local hero. Rory was way too talented for that. He was one of the all-time great blues rock guitarists, with an aggressive yet lyrical touch that made the instrument burn under his fingers. He wrote songs that expressed his wonder and mystery at the world, and he sang them with growling power."

19 October 2024