Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Magic Boa’ From Monterey Pop Festival To Be Auctioned
The legendary accessory is expected to bring up to £15,000 at Omega Auctions in the UK.
Jimi Hendrix’s pink feather ‘magic boa’ is expected to bring up to £15,000 at an upcoming auction. The late rock icon wore the item during his stellar performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, California in June 1967. Following the show, Hendrix gave the accessory to photographer Karl Ferris upon his return to London.
Ferris is now selling the boa to mark the 50th anniversary of the musician’s death; he died on September 18, 1970 at the age of 27.
“Jimi called it his ‘Magic Boa’ because it brought him much luck… as he wore it on [the cover for his debut album] Are You Experienced? and at his best ever concert, Monterey Pop,” Ferris said.
“As a tribute to the great man I thought it would be the right time to offer the ‘Magic Boa’ along with a selection of the photographs of Jimi I took back in 1967.”
The ‘Magic Boa’ appears to be yellow on the Are You Experienced? artwork, which Ferris attributes to the infrared film effect used on the shoot.
The boa will go up for auction at Merseyside’s Omega Auctions next Tuesday, September 8, as part of their latest music memorabilia sale. You can view the full catalogue and find more information at the auction house’s official website.
“It is a great honour to be able to offer for auction Jimi’s ‘Magic Boa’ that he wore on the cover of his seminal album and also at one of his most iconic performances,” said Omega auctioneer Paul Fairweather.
“It is 50 years since he sadly died and this auction in many ways is a celebration of this music legend.”
Last month, Hendrix’s Japanese sunburst electric guitar that he used in the early ‘60s sold for more than £160,000 at auction. The late star used the instrument after he was discharged from the army in 1962. The instrument was estimated to be worth around £38,000.
It went under the hammer at a sale run by GWS Auctions. According to an item description on the auction house’s website, Hendrix began playing the guitar after he left Fort Campbell for Clarksville, Tennessee, where he “played on the Chitlin’ Circuit with the likes of Wilson Pickett, Slim Harpo, Sam Cooke, Ike and Tina Turner and Jackie Wilson before moving to Harlem, New York in early 1964”.
Listen to the best of Jimi Hendrix on Apple Music and Spotify.
