One of Kurt Cobain’s guitars was sold for $ 1,587.500 dollars at Julien’s Auctions in Nashville on Friday. The Skystang I left-handed electric guitar was played at Nirvana’s last ever performance, a few weeks before Cobain committed suicide.
The blue Skystang I was one of a number of the models that Cobain bought for that final tour. Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s, said the Skystang I was an important part of pop culture history. “We all know that Kurt Cobain loved to break guitars and smash guitars, but the Fender Mustang was his favorite guitar. Nirvana played their final show on March 1, 1994 in Munich, Germany and all available concert footage confirms that Cobain played this guitar that night”.
Cobain died by suicide in April 1994, aged 27 and at the height of his fame.
On Thursday, Julien’s also sold a guitar belonging to Eric Clapton for $1.27 million. The Gibson SG — popularly known as “The Fool” –was used by the British rocker when his band Cream embarked on its first US tour. Its custom-painted psychedelic finish makes it one of the most recognizable guitars on the planet, and a key symbol of the “Summer of Love,” the 1967 counter-cultural moment that defined a generation. “The Fool” remained with him for years afterwards, and was key to the development of what was dubbed the “woman tone” — an often imitated sound he produced on the guitar.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the two guitars will go to mental health charity Kicking the Stigma.
