JIM IRSAY COLLECTION
legends!” We were both massive fans of The Who. A few years earlier, we had acquired a 1963 Gibson SG Special from Guy Pratt of Pink Floyd— an instrument Pete played with The Who during the Tommy era.
Over time, we forged a deep friendship and business relationship rooted in our shared love of rock’ n’ roll. While Jim loved football, music was his true passion. He revered the artists whose instruments he collected with the same respect one might reserve for Michelangelo or da Vinci. Jim believed the Collection should be shared with the world— to inspire future generations— and it also became a powerful platform for Kicking the Stigma, his charitable initiative dedicated to reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness and addiction.
There is no doubt the Jim Irsay Collection will go down in history as one of the greatest musical instrument collections ever assembled. Together, we researched, evaluated, and acquired some of the most iconic guitars in the world. These included David Gilmour’ s legendary The Black Strat; The Fool, the famous Gibson SG associated with Cream-era Eric Clapton and Todd Rundgren; and Kurt Cobain’ s iconic 1969 Fender Mustang, featured in the Smells Like Teen Spirit video and used on Nevermind and In Utero.
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