The piano that Freddie Mercury used to compose Queen's 1975 hit song "Bohemian Rhapsody" has sold at auction for £1.7million (approx. $2.9 million CAD).
The sale of Mercury's 1973 Yamaha Grand eclipses the sum paid for the piano John Lennon used to write "Imagine," which George Michael purchased for £1.68 million in 2000.
Other Queen items up for bid in the Sotheby’s auction included an "exquisite clutter" of stationary owned by Mercury that contained 15 pages of lyrics, which sold for £1.3 million. Included in the manuscript was handwritten lyrics on airplane letterhead for "Bohemian Rhapsody" revealing that the song was nearly titled "Mongolian Rhapsody," with the word "Mongolian" crossed out and replaced by "Bohemian."
Also sold was a Victorian-style snake bracelet that Mercury wore in the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video for £698,500, making it the most ever paid for a piece of rock'n'roll jewellery. Other items set for auction include a number of Mercury's iconic stage costumes and handwritten drafts of songs, such as "We Are The Champions."
The auction items were donated by Mary Austin, a close friend of Freddie Mercury, and were previously featured on display in an exhibit by Sotheby's as Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own.