Elton John: Personal items fetch $8 million at New York auction

Nearly $100 000 for Elton John’s monogrammed silver boots and around $2 million for a triptych by street artist Banksy from his collection: the music icon’s personal items brought in almost $8 million at auction on Wednesday in New York.

Christie’s auction house is running a series of eight sales, both in person and online, through February 28 for the collection of the 76-year-old’s belongings, including an ivory and gold glam rock jumpsuit from the early 1970s designed by Annie Reavey, which sold for $12 600.

As enthusiastic collectors made bids, John’s grand piano fetched over $200 000, while a pair of sunglasses, a key element of the singer’s signature look, found a buyer for $22 680, 10 times more than the initial estimate.

Most of the items come from the artist’s luxury home in Atlanta, Georgia, which had served as a base for his American tours, and which he recently sold.

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The legendary musician, known for hits like “Your Song,” “Rocket Man,” and “Sacrifice,” for flamboyant costumes and a commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS, wrapped up his farewell tour last year.

John bought the Atlanta home shortly after getting sober in 1990, Christie’s said, as the singer found “solace and support in the warm community and recovery facilities” there.

With works by artists Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe and Richard Avedon, the collection, which he built together with his husband David Furnish, shows the couple’s taste in contemporary art.

The personal collections of pop culture icons have become a regular feature at the world’s top auction houses.

Last September, thousands of items that belonged to late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury sold for $50.4 million, Sotheby’s said.

By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse