U2 Helps Raise Over $2 Million for Katrina Victims

An auction benefiting the musicians who were affected by Hurricane Katrina raised $2,436,900 on Saturday. The auction, held by Julien's Auctions at New York's Hard Rock Cafe, was orchestrated for Music Rising, a charity whose proceeds go to those musicians who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. The charity was created by U2's The Edge and a number of other musicians after the devastating hurricane that destroyed portions of the Gulf Coast.

Over 200 items were sold at the auction including the largest selection of U2 memorabilia ever made available to collectors, according to organizers. Items that were auctioned off included The Edge's Gibson Les Paul guitar. The guitar alone went for $240,000. The Les Paul guitar is one that was no doubt coveted by many U2 fans as the guitar has accompanied The Edge throughout his tours with U2 since 1985. The Edge also donated a 1958 archtop Gibson guitar that went for $105,000.

The Edge wasn't the only member of U2 to say goodbye to some of his musical history. Bono's Irish Falcon Gretsch sold for $180,000 and bassist Adam Clayton's Fender Jazz Deluxe fetched $22,000. Drummer Larry Mullen also added to the items for sale with a tom tom used in U2's Vertigo tour. The tom tom alone sold for $19,000.

Other items that went on the block were a pair of Bono's sunglasses, which fetched a whopping $20,000, and Jimi Hendrix's 1966 Red Fender Mustang guitar. Hendrix's guitar went for $400,000. Bidders also had a chance to bid on former President Bill Clinton's saxophone, most notoriously remembered for appearing with the former President during his appearance on the Arsenio Hall show, to the tune of $54,000 and John Lennon's round blue-tinted sunglasses that sold for $30,000. Paul McCartney's handpainted Epiphone Texan guitar and a Les Paul guitar signed by the Rolling Stones also went under the hammer on Saturday.

The auction also featured a number of items from music history including one of Elvis Presley's early recording contracts, a seven page love letter from Janis Joplin to her boyfriend and Kurt Cobain's MTV Video Music Award.

Some of the more odd items that went on the block included one of The Edge's trademark knit caps, which sold for $11,000, and a pair of sneakers worn by The Edge on stage which went for $7,000.

The auction lasted for seven hours and raised over $2 million dollars which included a 20 percent "buyers fee." Later this year, U2 will release their 3-D concert film, appropriately titled U23D.

SOURCE: Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2222401720070422?feedType=RSS