A replacement guitar played by rock and roll legend Chuck Berry at Wembley over fifty years ago may sell up to £20,000 at auction.
Chuck Berry was swiftly given the 1964 Gibson Firebird V when he broke a string while headlining the London Rock And Roll Concert in 1972.
The moment was captured on film, and a photo of it would grace the cover of Berry’s greatest hits album.
Terry Gibson, an astute backup guitarist, had given him the Firebird.
It is thought that the strap being auctioned in Wiltshire with the guitar was worn by Berry on the night in question.
Berry’s signature duck-walk technique and series of successes, including Johnny B. Goode, Sweet Little Sixteen, and Roll Over Beethoven, have impacted generations of subsequent rock musicians.
Michael J. Fox’s character Marty McFly sang Johnny B. Goode in the classic film Back To The Future.
The instrument is being offered for sale by a private collector who acquired it from the Gibson family.
Gibson, whose actual name was Terry Clemson, was a notable British guitarist who performed with Gene Vincent, Bo Diddley, and The Downliners, in addition to his own group.
Luke Hobbs, an auctioneer from Gardiner Houlgate near Bath, stated,
“I’ve been auctioning guitars for more than 15 years, but this is only the second time I’ve seen a Chuck Berry instrument up for auction.”
“They are exceedingly uncommon. Even though Berry only utilized our guitar for one night, the London Rock And Roll Concert was a momentous event that was meticulously captured on video.”
Double-neck guitar
This was only the second concert held at Wembley Stadium on August 5, 1972.
Other pieces up for auction include an acoustic guitar belonging to Pete Townshend of The Who, an amplifier used by Eric Clapton, and a guitar belonging to the late Jeff Beck.
Mike Oldfield once possessed a double-neck Gibson guitar from the late 1960s; only twenty of these instruments have been produced.
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