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It’s no surprise that as music fans age, the market for memorabilia has only increased. A lot of this is due to nostalgia, as people want to own something that is directly connected to the art or music that affected them so deeply as kids.
Another reason is that rock and roll has created its own culture and style, which has impacted all sorts of people around the globe. Now I’ve been around long enough to see all the different stages of rock style—from psychedelia, to punk, to metal, to grunge, and all of their hybrids and rediscoveries. Kids find their identities in these subcultures. As kids become adults, that earlier, more innocent time in their lives becomes a precious commodity.
Nowhere has the rock and roll culture been marketed so well as in the Hard Rock Café. In 1979, the Hard Rock started using guitars and other equipment like wallpaper in their restaurants. But these weren’t just “any” guitars—they had to be associated with an artist, and there would be a full display, with guitars, photographs, clothing, and the like. However, fully authenticating these pieces was another thing.
The original curator for the Hard Rock memorabilia was Warwick Stone, who worked closely with co-founder Peter Morton. Eventually, he started coming to me, looking for guitars that had been used by my celebrity customers.
Earlier, I had traded for a 1964 National Glenwood map-shaped guitar from Bob Dylan and had him sign it. The Hard Rock was looking for something related to Bob, and I told them about the National. They were very excited, and we made a deal on it for $2,500.
Rolling Stone’s cover of Bob Dylan with National 1964 Glenwood. (Copyright © Rolling Stone LLC 1978. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.)
I just happened to have the guitar in my window at the old store when Don Vargas, a well-known Hollywood costume designer, stopped in, saw the guitar, and informed me that he had sold it to Dylan. Then he said, “Did you know that’s the guitar Dylan’s holding on the cover of the Rolling Stone back in 1978?”
I couldn’t believe it. Sure enough, Don returned the next day with the magazine, and there was Bob, wearing a cowboy hat and holding the white National!
The most important detail about any memorabilia is provenance, which is proof that the artist actually owned the piece. Now that there was the Rolling Stone as evidence, I could’ve sold the National for five times the price.
I called up the Hard Rock and told them about the cover. I said the value of the guitar had increased greatly but that I would hold to our original deal. The Hard Rock executives were so struck by this, next thing I knew they flew me to New York, put me up in a fine hotel, and had me meet everybody in person. I guess they were happy to find somebody they could trust, in a world that operates somewhat sketchily at times.
Later, they put out a book of their memorabilia, which had a bunch of questionable stuff in it. Someone had sold them a fake Tom Petty jacket, and Tom’s manager, Tony Dimitriades, contacted them and told them to pull it.
By then, Don Bernstein was their curator, and knowing I had done business with Tom, asked if I could facilitate some sort of trade with Tom. I was able to rustle up some stage guitars of his—a Vox Phantom, a Rickenbacker, and some Guild acoustics, as well as some legitimate stage clothing. These were authentic items he had used on stage and could be documented. Everybody was happy.
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As the Hard Rock Empire grew, I figured out ways to get my hands on memorabilia they could use. A rock star would come into the store to check things out, and I’d have one of my coworkers stall him or her while I made a call to the Hard Rock to see if they had an interest in “so-and-so.” If I got the green light, I’d negotiate for some clothing or an instrument on the spot, then sell it to the Hard Rock. You have to strike when the iron is hot.
It was fascinating to see the things they wanted and the things they weren’t interested in at all. I had contact over the years with many of the seminal people in the rock ’n’ roll and blues area, but some great artists (who will remain nameless) were too esoteric for the Hard Rock buyers!
One of the funniest episodes occurred when a teen idol from the seventies showed up in the store one day. I was not sure about making the call, but I did it anyway. By then, the curator was a younger woman.
“I know this might be unusual, but do you have any interest in David Cassidy?”
Well, she went right through the roof! It shows that I was a little out of sync with the audience that grew up watching The Partridge Family.
That just goes to show, you never know what is going to be valuable or desirable over the years. One man’s trash, indeed, is another man’s treasure. Sometimes literally. Brian Ranks, former road manager to David Lee Roth and Michael Bolton, came to me one day asking if I was interested in any of David Lee Roth’s stage costumes. Knowing the mania for all things Van Halen, I told him I was very interested.
“Good, because David told me to get rid of all this shit, one way or another. There are piles and piles of it.”
Brian was at David’s estate in Pasadena, and as he pulled up, all the gardeners and day laborers working there were wearing Roth’s costumes! David just couldn’t wait to unload all that stuff. Luckily, a few things were left for me.
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In the end, all of us involved in music in whatever capacity are just fans, anyway. We love the artists, and we love their art. Everybody’s got a focus on a specific thing. For me, I would be into collecting Little Beaver memorabilia, but good luck finding any! I’m sure I’m the only person in the world who would collect somebody so obscure, but he has deep meaning for me.
Occasionally, I’ve been able to use a musician’s obsession with another artist to get something I wanted out of a situation. A number of years ago, I bought a Rickenbacker 360 double-bound Rose Morris twelve-string from my British friend Chris, which had previously been purchased at Hessy’s Music Store in Liverpool. Everyone in the know knows that type of guitar is associated with the Beatles in their mid-sixties phase. What made this guitar exceptional is that it also came with its original sales receipt from Hessy’s in Liverpool from 1966, which is where the Beatles bought all of their early instruments!
Well, I showed this guitar to Tom Petty, and he was practically salivating. As they are for many of us, the Beatles are his holy grail. Every time I’d see Tom, he asked how much I wanted for it, but I’d never sell it to him. This went on for years.
Finally, I told him I was willing to let go of it. He was champing at the bit, but a little hesitant over the price I was about to charge him. The deal was, I offered to trade him the guitar in exchange for several of his stage-played guitars and stage-worn clothing. I said there was one more condition. I wanted him to play a benefit concert that I was organizing at the Malibu Performing Arts Center for The Midnight Mission (homeless shelter). He was happy to oblige. Not only that, he reunited his first group, Mudcrutch, (in which he played bass) for the show! We raised over a quarter million dollars that night.
By the way, the last time I saw that Rick, Tom was performing with it at the halftime show for the Super Bowl.
I guess some memorabilia does actually get played . . . by the right person, too.