George Michael's 'Faith' Guitar Heads to Auction, Estimated at Up to £120,000
The Gretsch Synchromatic 160 guitar George Michael played in the music video for his 1987 single "Faith" is going up for auction. Sworders, an auction house in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, will offer the instrument on October 29 with a guide price of £60,000 to £120,000, accepting bids both online and in person. The lot will be on view at Sworders' London space for a week before the sale.
According to The Guardian, the guitar and the rest of the lot come from Michael's personal archive, with the auction landing just ahead of the tenth anniversary of his death.
What's actually up for sale
The guitar is identifiable by its sunburst-finish body; its hard case is stamped with the words "Rockabilly Rebel." "Faith" was one of Michael's biggest hits as a solo artist, and the guitar has become visually tied to the song through the video.
The instrument isn't the only item in the sale — 31 other lots are included:
- Gold and silver record awards
- Tour memorabilia
- Itinerary documents from Wham!'s appearance at Live Aid
- Itinerary documents from Wham!'s 1985 tour of China
- A metal lighthouse sculpture gifted to Michael by the city council of Málaga, Spain, in 1989, estimated at £200-£400
- A lunch invitation from David Beckham and Victoria Beckham
Where the archive came from
The collection was kept for years by Michael's former assistant, Siobhan Bailey, who died in 2014; the auction is being organized by her widower.
The timing overlaps with a new film project: the documentary George Michael: The Faith Tour is expected in November, directed by Andy Morahan — who also directed the "Faith" music video. The film is set to feature previously unseen archival footage of Michael's 1988 Paris concert.