Watching this collection come together over about 25 years has been a beautiful thing. They will become alive again.'. READ ARTICLE, "As much of a spectacle as the cover sets might bewith Irsay backed by members of John Mellencamps band and R.E.M., among otherstheyre simply a warmup act for the main attraction, Irsays massive and still-growing collection." Most of these artefacts currently reside either at Irsays home or in his office at the NFL teams headquarters and practice facility. He owns instruments from all four members, Irsay's interests extend to American history as well, which is why he's included items like Abraham Lincoln's pocket knife, Pictured next to the exhibit of the original scroll that Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road on are Jim Sampas, left, the Literary Executor, Jack Kerouac Estate, and a nephew of Kerouacs and Jim Canary, (right) the conservator at the Lilly Library at Indiana University, at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at The Lowell National Historic Park in Lowell MA on March 17, 2022. Stone printing of the Declaration of Independence, one of the first exact facsimiles of the final signed document. Irsay also has been open about his struggles with addiction. Among the collection are instruments owned and used by The Beatles, Prince, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Johnny Cash, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Coltrane, The Edge, and others. IM BLESSED. I am only a steward of this collection, so its my job to share it with as many people as I can.. You outbid me. Like any music lover or fan I want to try to have fun with it and share it, he continues. Stone printing of the Declaration of Independence, considered one of the first exact facsimiles of the actual document. Among the artists featured in the 20 guitars are Jerry Garcia, David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Les Paul, Jimmy Page, the . 'Allen said: ''What do you mean? I didn't anticipate that. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has spent 25 years assembling the worlds leading collection of rock n roll, American history and pop culture artefacts. And these will become not inanimate objects. 'This crazy Australian billionaire bid $6 million dollars on it,' Irsay said. We did some fun things with it but we were always careful. Indeed, hes not shy about allowing his numerous musical celebrity friends to play guitars from his collection, and will occasionally do it himself. READ ARTICLE, "The list of items [in The Jim Irsay Collection], spanning centuries, is extraordinary. Before the auction, Irsay placed his maximum bid at $3.75 million ($4.4 million with auction fees included). Last May, Irsay purchased a baseball that was signed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to New York City in 2019. My biggest regret was when I lost Wilson, the volleyball from Cast Away. I want to make that very fucking clear. Over the years, some remarkable guitar collections have featured in the pages of this magazine. The guitar was estimated to sell for $1 million . 'I said, ''If you go to auction, I'm not gonna bid on it,''' Irsay said. The billionaire expressed interest in building a serious collection. Before sports became his life's work, Jim Irsay was a musician. The guitar, case and strap sold for seven times its $642,0000 estimate with Julien's Auctions in California. The Jim Irsay Collection of guitars.Photos by Tony Valainis. During the course of our photoshoot, he not only pretends to smash the Black Strat but he also mischievously tucks a lit cigarette under the strings behind the nut. An 1823 William J. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Given his great love for wordsmiths such as Dylan and Kerouac, Irsays answer is perhaps unsurprising. Well consult Indianapolis Motor Speedway on who they use to move cars. His collection debuts at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, which is also free to the public, along with guitars and musical instruments used by the Beatles, Prince and Kurt Cobain; 1823 edition of the Declaration of . Style 000-42 guitar (Eric Clapton - 'MTV Unplugged'), 1963 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 guitar (Lennon), 1964 Fender Stratocaster guitar (Bob Dylan - 'Dylan Goes Electric'), 1979 Yamaha BB-1200 bass guitar (Paul McCartney), 2002 DeArmond by Guild M-75T guitar (Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page), 1969 Fender Mustang (Nirvana's Kurt Cobain - 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'). The Jim Irsay Collection: $100 Million Traveling Museum Worth the (Free) Price of Admission. This was the piano he toured with for 20 years; it was also played by Paul McCartney and Freddie Mercury. In addition to music artifacts, Irsays collection also features Abraham Lincolns pocket knife, Jackie Robinsons game-used bat, a lottery ticket signed by John Hancock and Muhammad Alis championship belt. In May 2019, Julien's Auctions sold a used paper plate Cobain wrote a set list on for a 1990 Nirvana show at the 9:30 nightclub in Washington, D.C. . In an interview with Vlad Duthiers of CBS Mornings, Irsay touted self-owned guitars, artifacts and historic memorabilia belonging to The Jim Irsay Collection, estimated to be worth over $100 . He also draws parallels between trailblazers in music and creatives in business watching James Brown work is no different than Steve Jobs and over the years has found kindred spirits in the many musicians he counts as friends. So much of what were about as a world, as humanity, is tied to music. I see the seekers in my mind walking across the old, beautiful lands of this country 300 years ago, not with muskets, but with guitars slung over their backs. There was, of course, a learning curve for Irsay, who was a little too flippant with the bidding paddle at his first Christie's auction in New York years earlier. He attributes this both to experience and mysticism. The Gibson SG that George Harrison used on Revolver? Its a 200-foot scroll upon which Kerouac pounded out his most famous missive during a weekslong, alcohol- and drug-fueled frenzy. Irsay's collection also includes Jerry Garcia's prized 1979 Doug Irwin 'Tiger' guitar (upper right), The Jim Irsay collection will be shown for free in New York on Friday after stops in Washington, LA, Austin and Nashville. Jerry Garcias Tiger? I dont really have a job. ABOUT THE JIM IRSAY COLLECTION Jim Irsay's passion for rock music, American history and pop culture led him to assemble a robust collection of historic and culturally-significant artifacts over several decades that together make up The Jim Irsay Collection. As of January 25, Kicking the Stigma has raised over $4.5 million. While recording Revolver, The Beatles were reimagining the pop landscape from one studio day to the next, and that certainly gives this instrument a special allure even if John obviously preferred his Epiphone Casino. I began this collection to preserve, protect and share historic artifacts with others in hopes of telling stories of our shared past and culture and inspiring people to dream big and strive for great things in life, said Jim Irsay. Jim Irsay . An eclectic exhibit with items, ranging from pop culture to historical, is coming to Las Vegas for one night only, along with a concert featuring a few big names. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has spent 25 years assembling the world's leading collection of rock 'n' roll, American history and pop culture artefacts. American History. In seeking out and exhibiting objects from the past, Irsay aims to inspire young musicians to create the iconic music of the future. Its like Dylan says, He not busy being born is busy dying, Irsay asserts. He paid $965,000 for the Newport Stratocaster Bob Dylan played at the 1965 Newport Festival, when he and his band went electric for the first time; dropped $4.4 million for Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobains Fender Mustang; and $4 million for Pink Floyd guitarist David Gimours black Fender Stratocaster. The Jim Irsay Collection is highlighted by instruments and items owned and used by some of the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, John READINTERVIEW, "The focus [of the collection] is on powerful people who changed the world. READ ARTICLE, Smells like team spirit: Billionaire Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay shares his collection of rare guitars at a free exhibition after splurging $4.4 million on Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's Fender Mustang READ ARTICLE, "Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is displaying his world-renowned collection of historic memorabilia to the public for the first time in the Big Apple. Subscribe now and save 50% off the cover price of the Indianapolis Monthly magazine. 'It's not really as much as the intellect of the mind; it's more of the spirit and what comes to me,' said Irsay, who could easily be mistaken for a country music mogul in his black sunglasses and grey Stetson. Once Colts owner Jim Irsay's father, Robert, passed away in 1997, he began a unique collection that is now worth millions. We have a lot of high-end shippers that are in specific fields, Hall said. Asked by The Post about the one item from the collection he would save in the event of a catastrophic fire, Irsay had a surprising answer: the manuscript to the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous, written by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob in the 1930s, which would evolve into the 12-step program. linktr.ee/thejimirsaycollection Posts Reels Videos Tagged Irsay hopes that life experiences, ranging from outreach or a Jim Irsay Collection concert, can ultimately benefit those who are in need. This fall, its gone on a national tour, with stops in Indianapolis (natch), New York City, and Los Angeles, to name a few locations. Perhaps as a nod to Irsays own well-publicised battle with addiction, theres also the working manuscript for The Big Book aka Alcoholics Anonymous. Recent additions include the SG Special used by Pete Townshend during The Whos exhilarating performance on The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circusand the Steinway piano used on tour by Elton John from 1974-1993. His travels have taken him to Puerto Vallarta, Costa Rica, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, but he's happiest at home with his wife, two daughters, and dog. Jack Kerouac to Jackie Robinson. Kurt married Courtney Love of Hole fame in 1992; together they had daughter Frances Bean who is now 27-years-old. This time, Irsay wisely declined. Thus, one item which Irsay would covet should it come available is Neil Armstrongs space suit. Its easy to see why a literary loose cannon like Thompson would want Irsay to purchase the manuscript (which he did, for $2.4 million). 'But out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favourite. In 2014, Irsay was suspended by the NFL for six games and fined $500,000 for driving while intoxicated. In 2014, he was arrested for DWI and possession of prescription medications. He purchased a 1966 Vox guitar , played by Lennon and George Harrison, for $408,000 at auction in 2013. Upon follow-up, he said it was priceless, and that if a Saudi sheikh offered him $1 billion, the answer would be a flat no. And theres no sign of the pace slowing any time soon the collection continues to expand and the plans for it get more and more ambitious. I am only a steward of this collection, so its my job to share it with as many people as I can. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay will display his world-renowned collection of iconic rock memorabilia, American history and pop culture at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Among Irsay's acquisitions was an instrument originally owned by the Beatles, a pristine 1959 Gibson Les Paul and an ultra rare 1939 Martin D-45 to his collection. "Over the years, some remarkable guitar collections have featured in the pages of this magazine. The collection also includes handwritten lyrics, signed photos, and other memorabilia from the artists. Irsay owned four guitars, including a 1942 Martin D-18 originally owned by Elvis Presley, when he met McKinney. A portion of Irsay's guitar collection will also be featured on two walls. Somewhat paradoxically, the 63-year-old Irsay also gives off the impression of being one of the most normal people in the pro sports ownership ranks in the sense that hell mingle with the average fan, and wants to be liked.