Elton John Items Fetch $8 Million at New York Auction

Elton John performs "(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again" from Rocketman during the Oscars show at the 92nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Elton John performs "(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again" from Rocketman during the Oscars show at the 92nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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Elton John Items Fetch $8 Million at New York Auction

Elton John performs "(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again" from Rocketman during the Oscars show at the 92nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Elton John performs "(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again" from Rocketman during the Oscars show at the 92nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Nearly $100,000 for Elton John's monogrammed silver boots and around $2 million for a triptych by street artist Banksy from his collection: the music icon's personal items brought in almost $8 million at auction Wednesday in New York.

Christie's auction house is running a series of eight sales, both in person and online, through February 28 for the collection of the 76-year-old's belongings, including an ivory and gold glam rock jumpsuit from the early 1970s designed by Annie Reavey, which sold for $12,600.

As enthusiastic collectors made bids, John's grand piano fetched over $200,000, while a pair of sunglasses, a key element of the singer's signature look, found a buyer for $22,680, ten times more than the initial estimate.

Most of the items come from the artist's luxury home in Atlanta, Georgia, which had served as a base for his American tours, and which he recently sold.

The legendary musician, known for hits like "Your Song,Rocket Man," and "Sacrifice," for flamboyant costumes and a commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS, wrapped up his farewell tour last year.

John bought the Atlanta home shortly after getting sober in 1990, Christie's said, as the singer found "solace and support in the warm community and recovery facilities" there.

With works by artists Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe and Richard Avedon, the collection, which he built together with his husband David Furnish, shows the couple's taste in contemporary art.

The personal collections of pop culture icons have become a regular feature at the world's top auction houses.

Last September, thousands of items that belonged to late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury sold for 40 million pounds ($50.4 million), Sotheby's said.



Saudi Entertainment Authority Inaugurates AlHisn Big Time Studios in Riyadh

AlHisn Big Time Studios feature seven studio buildings covering an area of 10,500 square meters. (SPA)
AlHisn Big Time Studios feature seven studio buildings covering an area of 10,500 square meters. (SPA)
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Saudi Entertainment Authority Inaugurates AlHisn Big Time Studios in Riyadh

AlHisn Big Time Studios feature seven studio buildings covering an area of 10,500 square meters. (SPA)
AlHisn Big Time Studios feature seven studio buildings covering an area of 10,500 square meters. (SPA)

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Advisor Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al Al-Sheikh inaugurated on Monday AlHisn Big Time Studios, west of Riyadh, the largest and most modern studios for film and television production in the Middle East. The studios will help boost film and television production in the region.

AlHisn Big Time Studios, built in just 120 days, feature seven studio buildings covering an area of 10,500 square meters; the total project area measures 300,000 square meters. It also features a production village, with carpentry and metalworking workshops, as well as costume design facilities.

Additional amenities include luxurious suites for VIPs, offices for film production, and fully equipped editing rooms, all creating an ideal work environment that helps increase production efficiency.

The studios aim to streamline and accelerate production processes by concentrating the needs of film and television production in one location, saving time, effort, and costs, while supporting the production sector in the region on par with global standards.

The facility will provide a strategic opportunity for the financial and banking sector to support production companies. It will pave the way for a significant leap in film and television production at both local and regional levels.