Items from the personal collection of the late DJ John Peel, which includes a record signed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, are due to be auctioned off next month.
Eel – real name was John Ravenscroft – died of a heart attack in 2004 at the age of 65.
In the 1980s, he was a presenter on Top of the Pops, and regularly covered the Glastonbury Festival, with The John Peel Stage dedicated to him in 2004.
He also helped launch the careers of many musicians and bands, including David Bowie, Queen and The Sex Pistols.
Records, personal correspondence and memorabilia are to be offered at their Live In Session: Property from the John Peel Archive Sale at Bonhams Knightsbridge on June 14, a week before Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary.
close
An autographed copy of the album, Unfinished Music No. 2_ Life with the Lions, 1969, signed by John and Yoko (Bonhams/PA) and engraved on the inner sleeve
One item estimated to be between £15,000 and £20,000 and set to be one of the stars of the auction is a mono pressing LP called ‘Two Virgins’, 1968, written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono Is.
The Ravenscroft family said: “Based on the role he played in it, John/Dad was in a position to reach many of the most famous people and events in the history of popular music. It was the wealth of mementos he collected throughout his life.” is reflected in.
“Through the accumulation of 40 years’ worth of pop music moments, we decided that some of the most interesting items might find a home with fans of their program or artists of their music.”
Other items on display at Bonhams in June include a handwritten letter signed by David Bowie, Nirvana’s 1988 single Love Buzz/Big Cheese, and the DJ’s personal gramophone sitting at his desk at his home in Suffolk.
video of the day
close
John Peel’s Horn Gramophone. First half 20th century, with estimates of between £800 and 1,200 (Bonhams/PA)
Kathryn Schofield, director of the Bonhams Popular Culture Department, said: “John Peel had an incredible impact on the new music landscape. Without his passionate advocacy of emerging talent, generations of music lovers would have loved The Fall, The Undertones, The Sex Pistols and countless others. The voices would never have been heard.
“Offered directly by the family, this collection includes some of Peele’s most collectible and rare records, spanning decades in music—many of which are accompanied by letters from the artists or their management.”
