The hat that American singer Michael Jackson threw into the audience just before performing his first “moonwalk” – the pop megastar’s iconic dance – sold for 77,640 euros (including tax) at an auction held in Paris on Tuesday in the presence of many fans and collectors, announced representatives of the Hotel Drouot, quoted by AFP, according to Agerpres.

Image of Michael Jackson on the bannerPhoto: Robyn Beck/AFP/Profimedia

The moment that became a legend in the music industry happened on March 25, 1983, at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the famous Motown record company, when Michael Jackson performed the song “Billie Jean”. The sequence was broadcast on May 16, 1983 by the American television channel NBC.

Michael Jackson’s first moonwalk and the moment the artist threw away his hat

A wool fedora hat lined with silk, estimated at between €60,000 and €100,000, was the star of an auction organized by Lemon Auction, which brought together 200 objects related to the music industry.

“A certain Adam Kelly, whose ticket we have for the March 25, 1983 show, grabbed the hat that day, thinking members of the singer’s crew would come to collect it, but they didn’t,” said Arthur Perot, CEO and co-founder of the Artpeges gallery. who put the hat up for sale.

Adam Kelly kept it for several years before selling it to an American collector. Then the hat reappeared in the European collection.

Collectors also bid on the guitar of blues singer T-Bone Walker (1910-1975), a major inspiration for BB King, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. The musical instrument fetched €129,400 (tax included). This six-string guitar, a model produced in only 22 copies in 1949, was estimated at €100,000-150,000.

Several auctions in London recently, where thousands of items belonging to Freddie Mercury were put up for sale, raised 46.5 million euros, a record for a collection of this type, according to Sotheby’s. The collection also included the piano on which the British artist composed most of his songs, including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, sold for 2 million euros.

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