George Michael's Faith guitar sells for £180,000 despite his late assistant's brother saying she 'would be horrified'
George Michael's 1940s Gretsch Synchromatic 160 guitar, gifted to his personal assistant Siobhan Bailey, goes to auction today at an estimate of £120,000 despite her brother's protests.George Michael's estate has filed a legal claim at London's Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court against Andros Georgiou, as Michael's iconic Faith guitar goes under the hammer today despite his assistant's…
The 1940s Gretsch Synchromatic 160 guitar — a personal gift from George Michael to his trusted assistant Siobhan Bailey — was purchased by an anonymous UK-based internet bidder for £180,000, propelling a 32-lot sale to a combined total of £238,000. Bailey's brother Gerard condemned the auction as "wholly unethical," calling it a "breach of his sister's privacy" and saying that invoking her name was "frankly dishonourable." Bailey died in 2014 aged 56 without a registered will, leaving her estate to pass legally to her estranged husband Ian Belcher.
Gerard Bailey says Siobhan was in the process of drawing up a will leaving her belongings to her nieces and nephews when she died suddenly.
The family accepts Belcher had the legal right to sell but asked Sworders to list the sale under his name rather than Siobhan's.
Among the other lots were a hand-annotated tour itinerary from Wham!'s 1985 China visit and an invitation to Andrew Ridgeley's 21st birthday party.
