Julien’s Auctions has announced property from the estate of Greg Lake as part of its Music Icons auction taking place on Saturday, May 18, 2019.
The auction will feature guitars, memorabilia, stage wardrobe, personal items, tour ephemera and more owned and used by legendary singer, bassist, guitarist and producer Greg Lake of the English progressive rock supergroup, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, together with historical items by other music legends (to be announced), and will take place live at Hard Rock Cafe New York and online at juliensauctions.com.
Prog legend
Born on November 10th, 1947 in Bournemouth, England, Greg Lake’s music career had an auspicious start when he befriended neighbour and fellow guitarist Robert Fripp. After a brief stint playing with the Gods, Lake joined Fripp on his band King Crimson where the band found success and critical acclaim in their 1969 groundbreaking debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King and in their 1970 follow up In the Wake of Poseidon, both of which showcased Lake’s lead vocals and bass guitar work. But it was in December 1969 while on tour with The Nice that Lake’s life and the history of rock and roll would change forever when he met the band’s keyboardist Keith Emerson. The two shared a musical kinship and recruited drummer and percussionist Carl Palmer of Crazy World of Arthur Brown and Atomic Rooster to join their new trio. In 1970, Emerson, Lake and Palmer was born and became an instant sensation upon their arrival on the music scene and one of the most popular and successful progressive rock bands in the Seventies.
Their 1970 self-titled debut album and their consequent albums, Tarkus (1971), which hit Number One in the U.K. album charts, Pictures at an Exhibition (1971), their landmark Brain Salad Surgery (1973), Works Volume 1 (1977), Works Volume II (1977), Love Beach (1978)– all went gold in the U.S., and several charted in the Top 10 of Billboard’s album chart. Their songs Lucky Man, Karn Evil 9, Tarkus, and Fanfare for the Common Man became prog-rock classics and the group would sell more than 48 million albums with Lake serving as producer for most of the group’s works, including six of the group’s albums that went platinum.
Solo career
In 1975, Lake recorded a solo single I Believe in Father Christmas which became a Number Two hit in the UK, and he launched a solo career in 1979. The band reunited partially in the 1980s as Emerson, Lake & Powell with Cozy Powell in place of Palmer and in 1991, the original trio reunited and released two more albums Black Moon (1992) and In the Hot Seat (1994) and toured from 1992-1998. In commemoration of their 40th anniversary in 2010, the band played their final performance together at the High Voltage Festival in London. Lake died at the age of 69 in 2016, nine months after the death of Keith Emerson that same year.
Highlights of the auction include Lake’s Persian rug used in the 1970s and one of the most iconic elements of the Emerson, Lake & Palmer stage settings and countless shows throughout their career (estimate: $8,000-$10,000); his Gretsch G6120 Chet Atkins hollow body electric guitar played during the 2012 Songs of a Lifetime Tour (estimate: $2,000-$3,000); Lake’s handwritten original early working lyrics for the second half of the track Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression—Part 1 from the 1973 Emerson, Lake & Palmer album Brain Salad Surgery (estimate: $400-$600); and his 1901 U.S. gold coin necklace worn extensively in numerous performance and promotional photographs and videos of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (estimate: $1,000-$2,000).
Also included are items from Lake’s stage and photo worn wardrobe from the 1970s, including a white leather Maxfield Parrish suit (estimate: $2,000-$4,000) (photo right), his grey, maroon, and black leather and suede jacket (estimate: $1,000-$2,000), his black ruffle silk and cream manticore shirts (each estimate: $500-$700), his silk shirt with handpainted stars, moons and lightning bolts (estimate: $300-$500); his custom made Peter Cornish rack unit and controller (estimate: $2,000-$3,000) as well as his road, wardrobe and guitar cases, earrings, belts and more.
“Julien’s Auctions is thrilled to present this exceptional collection of the incomparable Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, one of the most influential bands of the late 20th century,” said Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions. “These iconic items chart Lake’s musical genius, original style and innovative sound that would make an everlasting impact on the progressive rock movement and Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s enduring legacy.”
JULIEN’S AUCTIONS NEW YORK PUBLIC EXHIBITION – Monday, May 13th, 2019 – Friday, May 17th, 2019
LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTION – Saturday, May 18th, 2019 Music Icons: Property from the Estate of Greg Lake Session I: 9:00 a.m. ET, Session IV: 12:00 noon ET
Registration is required to bid in this online auction and can be done in person at the exhibition, or online before the sale at JuliensAuctions.com
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