Courtesy of Heritage AuctionsA blond lock of David Bowie‘s hair clipped from the late singer in 1983 fetched $18,750 at a memorabilia sale held over the weekend at Heritage Auctions in Beverly Hills. The winning bid was more than four times the expected sale price of $4,000.
The lock of hair was cut by and belonged to Wendy Farrier, who worked as the wig mistress at Madame Tussauds in London. Farrier clipped Bowie’s hair so that she could replicate it for a wax statue that was displayed at the wax museum during the height of his popularity. Wendy, who was a big fan of the singer, held on to the hair snippet as a souvenir.
The winning bidder receives the lock, which is bound with blue thread, as well as a black-and-white photograph of Bowie standing next to Farrier and a letter of authenticity from Wendy.
“David Bowie changed music forever and fans are hungry for related precious objects that bring them closer to their favorite musician,” said Heritage Auctions executive Margaret Barrett. “What brings you closer than a lock of hair?”
Part of the proceeds from the Bowie hair will be donated to the Soi Dog Foundation in Thailand, a charity that rescues and cares for stray dogs.
Among the other, rather morbid, items that were sold at the auction was a shirt stained with John Lennon‘s blood that was worn by an employee of the Dakota Hotel in New York City the night the ex-Beatles star was shot to death. The winning bid was $42,500.
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