The acoustic guitar famously strummed by George Michael in the 1987 music video for "Faith" is being put up for auction. The Gretsch Synchromatic 160, featuring a sunburst finish, has an estimated sale price ranging from £60,000 to £120,000.
This guitar is the leading item in a wider auction of memorabilia from the archive of Siobhan Bailey, Michael's former personal assistant, who passed away in 2014. The collection includes 31 other items, such as gold and platinum discs, tour programmes, and a metal lighthouse statue.
The auction also offers insights into George Michael and Wham! tours through private itinerary documents, including a handwritten notebook by Bailey and a running order for 1985's Live Aid. Another itinerary details Wham!'s 1985 tour of China, where they became the first western act to tour the country.
Separately, Ray-Ban sunglasses worn by Michael during the "Faith" tour are expected to fetch £15,000 to £30,000 at a Music Memorabilia Live auction in London on 1 and 2 October.
These auctions coincide with the approaching 10th anniversary of Michael's death in December. A new film, "George Michael: The Faith Tour," compiled from rediscovered footage of a 1988 Paris concert, is scheduled for release on 6 November. An 18-track live album of the same name will be released concurrently.
The Siobhan Bailey auction will take place on 29 October, both online and in person at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. Items will be displayed at Sworders' London branch from 20-27 October.