George Michael's Guitar Sells for £180,000 After Family Dispute
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A guitar once used by singer George Michael has sold for £180,000 at an auction, despite a disagreement over the sale.
George Michael was a hugely popular British singer who died several years ago, but his music remains well known around the world.
The guitar was closely linked to his famous song and album Faith, which was one of his biggest successes.
However, the sale caused controversy before it took place. George Michael had a personal assistant who worked closely with him during his life.
This assistant has since died, and she is now referred to as his late personal assistant.
Her brother spoke out against the auction. He said that his sister would not have wanted the items connected to George Michael to be sold.
The disagreement became public and was described as a row, meaning a serious disagreement between people.
Despite the objection, the auction went ahead as planned. The guitar attracted strong interest from buyers and eventually sold for £180,000.
The high price shows how much value collectors still place on items connected to George Michael's career.
It is common for memorabilia, meaning objects linked to famous people or events, to sell for large sums at auction.
The story highlights how decisions about a celebrity's belongings can sometimes create tension among the people closest to them.
No further details were given about who organised the auction or who bought the guitar.
Vocabulary7 words
- auction
- a public sale where people offer more and more money
- controversy
- strong public disagreement about something
- personal assistant
- someone who helps a person with their daily tasks and work
- late
- a word used to describe someone who has died
- row
- a serious argument or disagreement
- memorabilia
- objects that are valuable because they are linked to a famous person
- Faith
- a very successful song and album by George Michael
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Quiz
Answer key
1. £180,000 2. The brother of his late personal assistant 3. His song and album Faith
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A guitar once used by singer George Michael has sold for _____ at an auction.
George Michael was a hugely popular British singer who died several years ago, but his _____ remains well known.
The guitar was closely linked to his famous song and album _____.
However, the sale caused _____ before it took place.
George Michael had a _____ who worked closely with him during his life.
This assistant has since died, and she is now referred to as his _____ personal assistant.
Her _____ spoke out against the auction.
He said that his sister would not have wanted the items to be _____.
Despite the objection, the auction went ahead and the guitar sold for _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think items belonging to famous people sell for so much money?
- Do you think families should have more control over what happens to a celebrity's belongings?
- How do you think disagreements like this can affect the memory of a famous person?
- Would you ever buy memorabilia from a famous musician? Why or why not?
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