"ALL RIGHT NOW":
BONHAMS OFFER GUITAR OF LEGENDARY FREE ROCKER, PAUL KOSSOFF
"There she
stood in the street, smilin' from her head to her feet," the famous
opening lyrics to one of the most well-known tracks of the 1970s, 'All Right
Now'. Penned by Free, the song launched the band straight into the rock and
roll legend hall of fame.
Paul Kossoff was
their guitarist, his axe a 1959 Gibson Les Paul. Thirty years on, Kossoff's
personal guitar is now offered at auction for the first time as part Bonhams
Entertainment Memorabilia sale, taking place 10 December at Bonhams
Knightsbridge.
Kossoff owned the
Gibson Les Paul from 1970-1976. This was the height of the band's success, with
their classic rock anthem, All Right Now, soaring to number one in music charts
across 20 territories.
Hampstead-born
Kossoff was an immensely skilled musician. His signature talent was the ability
to unleash an incredible vibrato on his guitar, a skill that so impressed
fellow musician, Eric Clapton, that it prompted him to ask Kossoff, "How
do you do that?".
Kossoff performed
with vigour, so much so that during one performance he threw his Gibson Les
Paul guitar in the air, snapping the neck. Arthur Ramm, guitarist of support
group, Beckett, lent his instrument to Kossoff after he broke his guitar. Later
offering a trade, Kossoff declined to barter the guitar he held dear, despite
it being broken.
In 1973 Free
disbanded, sending Kossoff in a downward spiral. In 1975 he formed the band
Back Street Crawler, but in March 1976, at the age of 25, he died from what's
believed to have been a drug-related heart-attack whilst on board a flight from
Los Angeles to New York.
Several years after
Kossoff's tragic death, Ramm acquired the guitar from the late-musician's
family. Some thirty years on, the guitar will now feature at auction for the
first time.
Natalie Downing,
Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia Specialist, said: "Kossoff is one of the
generation of rock stars who lost their life to the excesses of the industry.
His incredible musical talent continues to be recognised, heralded by Rolling
Stone magazine in their top 100 list of the greatest guitarists of all time.
"Musical
instruments with celebrity provenance can often reach a higher premium at
auction, bolstered by fans and musicians keen to take home instruments that
bore witness to some of rock and roll's greatest moments. Bonhams has conducted
several highly successful auctions throughout the year, including the sale of
Eric Clapton and Chris Martin's guitars at our June sale."
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