Items include guitars, clothing and cars
Christie’s is honored to present The Nile Rodgers Collection, a live auction on Thursday, December 16th in New York City from the legendary and multiple GRAMMY-winning composer, producer, arranger and guitarist. The items being auctioned have meaningful and important stories that are steeped in the soundtrack of people’s lives, with the music they created while defining an iconic era and sound. Rodgers’ work with the CHIC Organization and his renowned productions for artists such as David Bowie, Diana Ross and Madonna have sold over 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide, while his trendsetting collaborations with Daft Punk, Avicii, Keith Urban, Disclosure, Sam Smith and Lady Gaga reflect the vanguard of contemporary music.
All net auction proceeds will benefit We Are Family Foundation, a non-profit organization co-founded by Rodgers and Foundation President, Nancy Hunt, that promotes cultural diversity while nurturing and mentoring the vision, talents, and ideas of young people who are positively changing the world. The auction is comprised of more than 160 lots of vintage and storied guitars, iconic fashions, unique synthesizers, production equipment and rare cars from Rodgers’ private collection. A large portion of the items being auctioned have personal stories from the artist that represent his seminal music influences and contributions over the decades.
“I say with complete humility, these instruments have been the soundtrack of our lives, from the 70s till now,” Rodgers shares. “They’ve played on records, films and video games worth over a billion dollars. I’m auctioning them off so they can benefit the We Are Family Foundation and ultimately give people as much joy as they’ve given me.”
Among the highlights in the auction are a rare Porsche 911 Slantnose Turbo Targa (Flachbau), one of only seven made, estimated at $150,000-200,000; a 1956 Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar with gold-plated hardware estimated at $30,000-40,000; a 1954 Fender Telecaster Solid-Body Electric Guitar estimated at $15,000-25,000; and a custom shop artist’s prototype of the eponymous Nile Rodgers Fender Stratocaster “Hitmaker”, estimated at $4,500-6,500. Other highlights include an original Wurlitzer Bubbler Jukebox, model No. 1015, circa 1946, estimated at $4,000-6,000; a road case stamped “Nile Rodgers Productions Inc.” estimated at $500-800; and a Rupert Neve & Company designed sound console formerly part of CBS’s New York Studio 52 which hosted The Ed Sullivan Show whose facility later became the iconic Studio 54 in New York City, estimated at $50,000-$100,000.
