David Bowie’s handwritten lyrics and notes for 2 songs from ‘Ziggy Stardust’ album could fetch US$125,000 at auction
- The lyrics for ‘Suffragette City’ and ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide’, which were recorded at the final session for Bowie’s ‘Ziggy Stardust’ album, are up for sale
- The Ziggy Stardust era catapulted Bowie into superstardom, and the album is considered by many to be one of his best
A sheet of paper containing David Bowie’s handwritten lyrics to two songs from one of his most acclaimed albums could fetch more than US$125,000 when it is auctioned on November 28.
One side of the “irregularly cut” piece of paper bears the lyrics to “Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide”, while the other side contains the lyrics for “Suffragette City” – both with corrections, notations and footnotes.
The tracks are from the late artist’s fifth studio album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, released in June 1972.
The lyric sheet is one of many pieces of rock history that will be up for sale by London’s Omega Auctions on Tuesday. It’s expected to fetch between £50,000 and £100,000 (US$63,000 to US$126,000).
Often praised by music fans as one of Bowie’s most important albums, Ziggy Stardust is a concept album about Bowie’s titular alter ego, an androgynous and omnisexual rock star sent to Earth as a messenger ahead of an inevitable apocalyptic disaster.