The Gretsch Synchromatic 160 acoustic guitar that George Michael flung across the stage in the Faith video is going under the hammer. Experts predict it could fetch as much as £120,000, making it the star lot in an auction of memorabilia amassed by his longtime personal assistant, Siobhan Bailey. The sale coincides with a wave of Faith‑era retrospectives and the approaching tenth anniversary of the pop star’s death in December.
The Guitar and Its Story
This sunburst‑finished Gretsch was the visual centrepiece of the 1987 Faith clip, a video that helped the track dominate the US charts for four weeks and cement Michael’s solo career after Wham!. The instrument comes with a case bearing the hand‑pasted slogan “Rockabilly Rebel”, a nod to the track’s twangy, 1950s‑inspired sound. Bailey, who worked for Michael for more than two decades, kept the guitar in her personal archive until her death in 2014 at the age of 56. Her widower is now overseeing the sale through Sworders auction house.
Other Highlights from the Bailey Archive
Beyond the guitar, the Bailey collection offers a treasure trove of pop history. Thirty‑one additional lots include gold and platinum discs, tour programmes, and a metal lighthouse statue gifted to Michael by Malaga city council in 1989, valued at £200‑£400. Researchers will find handwritten notebooks detailing tour itineraries, a private running order for the 1985 Live Aid show, and documents charting Wham!’s groundbreaking 1985 China tour – the first western act to play the country. That trip was captured by director Lindsay Anderson in the film *Wham! in China: Foreign Skies*, recently reissued as *Wham! 10 Days in China*.
The archive also contains 49 previously unseen photographs, some taken by Bailey herself, and a range of personal invitations. Among them are a reception request from the TV soap EastEnders and a lunch with David and Victoria Beckham in 2002, described simply as “rickshaws at nightfall, dress: white tie and diamonds”. A promotional box set of Michael’s album Older, never released to the public, is expected to realise £300‑£600.
Faith‑Era Memorabilia Elsewhere
Interest in Michael’s Faith period is not limited to the Bailey sale. A separate auction, Music Memorabilia Live in London on 1 and 2 October, will offer the Ray‑Ban sunglasses he wore on the Faith tour, with estimates ranging from £15,000 to £30,000. These parallel sales arrive as preparations intensify for a major Faith‑era tribute. A new documentary, *George Michael: The Faith Tour*, is slated for release on 6 November, built from rediscovered footage of a 1988 Paris concert filmed on 14 35mm cameras. The film is co‑directed by Andy Morahan, who originally directed the Faith video, and will be preceded by a short piece from Mary McCartney that pairs unseen Herb Ritts portraits with an unheard interview. An 18‑track live album sharing the same title will accompany the launch.
Why it Matters
The upcoming auctions and accompanying releases underscore how George Michael’s Faith era continues to resonate with collectors, fans and cultural historians alike. As the tenth anniversary of his death approaches, these artefacts offer a tangible link to a period that reshaped his artistic identity and left an indelible mark on pop music. The high estimates for the guitar and associated memorabilia signal sustained market appetite for authentic pieces of music history, while the forthcoming film and live album promise to reintroduce Faith‑era performances to new audiences, ensuring Michael’s legacy remains both celebrated and commercially vibrant.
