Freddie Mercury’s piano and scribbled “Bohemian Rhapsody” lyrics sell for millions at auction

Some of Freddie Mercury’s prized possessions went up for auction in London this week – including a grand piano that sold for $2.17 million U.S. dollars.

Another high ticket item – handwritten lyrics for the Queen hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which the frontman autographed – sold for $1.7 million U.S. dollars. The pages contain a bit of little known history. The song was originally titled “Mongolian Rhapsody” but was altered to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the draft shows. 

While items like a crown and cloak set (which went for $791,784 U.S. dollars), a few guitars, and several catsuits have already sold, there are some pieces still being bid on, including diaries and notebooks with handwritten lyrics and a pair Mercury’s signature Adidas high top sneakers. 

Mercury’s MTV Video Music Award, which Queen won in 1992 for best video from a film, was also still being bid on Thursday. The award was given for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which was featured in “Wayne’s World.”

The Sotheby’s multi-day auction is broken into categories: The “On Stage,” featuring costumes, instruments, lyrics and other items pertaining to performances; “At Home,” with items from Mercury’s Garden Lodge; “In Love With Japan,” featuring the Japanese art Mercury collected; and “Crazy Little Things,” with “oddments, curios and beloved objects from Freddie’s home.”

Before the auction items were sold, the were on display in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and London.

Mercury sang with Queen for about two decades and died in 1991 from complications from HIV. During their decades together, Queen wrote countless hits and was nominated for four Grammys.

Caitlin O’Kane

Caitlin O’Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.