A 1983 Fender Telecaster made for and owned by Bob Dylan will be up for sale via Julian’s Auctions’ “Celebrating Bob Dylan: The Aronowitz Archive, T Bone Burnett, & More” event at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on Jan. 18.
The auction features 60 items, 50 of these from journalist Al Aronowitz’s personal archive. The items include two pages containing three typewritten drafts of the lyrics to “Mr. Tambourine Man,” an early Dylan oil painting from 1968 valued at around $300,000, a 1963 handbill from his first major headline performance at Town Hall in New York City, early vintage photographs, original sketches and more.
An Ionic Original disc of Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin” from a special session with Grammy-winning producer T Bone Burnett will also be for sale. The auction marks the second public sale of an Ionic Original recording following “Blowin’ in the Wind” in 2022 (although three more were part of a private sale last year).
Attendees can also purchase signed handwritten lyrics for “Blowin’ in the Wind,” estimated to go for anywhere between $15,000 to $20,000.
About the auction, Myles Aronowitz, son of Al Aronowitz, explains, “Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Mick Jagger, Jerry Garcia, Carole King… My father was this incredible connector. He was much more than a journalist, he understood what these artists were trying to do. He didn’t just meet these cultural icons, he brought them together. He introduced Allen Ginsberg to Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan to the Beatles. My father was the one who turned the Beatles on for the first time. He connected Jimi Hendrix with Miles Davis, Nico with Lou Reed. He wasn’t just a writer with a power base as a New York columnist; Al had this unique kind of magic. He made these introductions that went on to shape culture itself. It was more than power or influence — there was something truly magical about what he did. The collection represents my father’s instinctive ability to identify and connect with greatness. Each item is evidence of this, and how with his magic, he literally brought you into the room!”
In a statement, Burnett adds, “Hearing Bob Dylan sing ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’ 60 years after he wrote it is a moving experience. The times, have, in fact changed, and the listener can hear the gravity and the consequence of the 60 years of life that have passed since he first wrote and recorded the song. Although Bob’s earlier version of this song is, of course, a classic recording, to my way of listening, this Ionic Original is the definitive version of this indelible song.”
Registration is required to bid in this auction and can be done in person on the day of the auction, or online before the sale via the Julian’s Auctions website.
English (US) ·