Guitar signed by Grateful Dead raises $526,000 for charity
By Matt Petronzio2015-07-07 16:35:27 UTC
Bill Rathburn of Dallas, Texas, walked away with a piece of music history last weekend.
Rathburn, a devoted fan of the Grateful Dead, scored something that most Deadheads dream of. At a charity auction during the set break for the Grateful Dead's final "Fare Thee Well" show in Chicago on Sunday, Rathburn purchased a one-of-a-kind D'Angelico EX-DC electric guitar signed by original band members Rob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann. The guitar's back featured the band's iconic skull logo with the number 50, and the words "Fare Thee Well."
Rathburn bought the guitar for his daughter with a winning bid of $526,000, which will benefit 17 charities the band supports, including Oxfam, the Rainforest Action Network and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, which focuses on psychedelic and medical marijuana research and education.
The guitar's starting bid was $5,000 at the first "Fare The Well" show on June 27 in Santa Clara, California. But once Weir played it on stage the following day, during the song "Row Jimmy," interest in the axe skyrocketed. The bidding period ended at 9:30 p.m. local time on Sunday.
Bill Rathburn of Dallas, Texas, holding the commemorative Grateful Dead guitar for which had the winning bid of $526,000.
The auction, which included other memorabilia such as signed posters and Remo drumheads, was part of "Participation Row," a charity effort throughout the tour spearheaded by nonprofit HeadCount to raise money for Dead-related charities. HeadCount is best known for its work to register voters at concerts.
"The Grateful Dead's very first concert was a benefit show, so we honored that tradition by making their final shows a boon for the nonprofit organizations that are part of the Grateful Dead community," Andy Bernstein, executive director of HeadCount, told Mashable.
D'Angelico guitar, signed by members of #FareTheeWell version of the Dead, is being auctioned for charity this wkd. pic.twitter.com/VNaA6khvrm
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) July 4, 2015
Excluding the guitar, the other items raked in more than $250,000, meaning the auction raised more than $750,000 for charity. Each organization will receive more than $30,000 a piece from the guitar alone.
"We knew 'Participation Row' and the charities would be well-received, but had no idea just how well," Bernstein said. "Between the collectible auction and the literally 10,000 socially conscious actions taken at the nonprofit tables, we made social good a big part of the experience, and ultimately part of the legacy."
One More Saturday Night on Shakedown Street
"First show was in 1991, last one in 1995 here at Soldier Field, music never stops, music brings people together..." - "Jolly Babba" of DeKalb, Illinois.
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"Music is what makes the world go round and the only thing that matters, to bring love" - Josh Peek of Hobert, Indiana.
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"...been a long and happy ride, this is my tribe and family...got on the bus in 1979...destination, Chicago" - Phil Sittnick of Grants, New Mexico,
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Brad Taber of Cleveland, Ohio still had "...goosebumps from last night."
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Anthoula Mizis of Philadelphia, was there "for the music".
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Rob of San Francisco and Meg of Manhattan had a "desire to be a part of the end"
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Friends hug in the parking lot on the Grateful Dead's "Fare Thee Well" show on July 4, 2015.
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Todd Neathawk of Destin, Fla. before the July 4th "Fare Thee Well" Grateful Dead show in Chicago.
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Fans on the floor, Grateful Dead, Fare Thee Well show, Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, Saturday July 4, 2015.
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Fans dance at the Grateful Dead "Fare Thee Well" show on July 4, 2015.
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A fan dances behind the stage at the Grateful Dead "Fare Thee Well" show on July 4, 2015.
Image: Bryan R. Smith/Mashable
Fan Jenny Fitzgerald and her daughter Irie, from Portland during the Grateful Dead "Fare Thee Well" show on July 4, 2015.
Image: Bryan R. Smith/Mashable
Fans dance at the Grateful Dead "Fare Thee Well" show on July 4, 2015.
Image: Bryan R. Smith/Mashable
