David Bowie's Handwritten 'Jean Genie' Lyrics Were Auctioned Off

The handwritten lyrics to David Bowie's classic single 'The Jean Genie' were auctioned off for £57,000. The A4 lined sheet, titled, dated, and signed by the late icon, was given to Neal Peters in 1973 who was the President of the New York-based David Bowie Fan Club. The previous owner decided to sell the piece of music history, after seeing Bowie's 'Starman' lyrics fetch a whopping £203,500 at auction in 2022. Pre-sale estimates for the 'Jean Genie' lyrics ranged from £50,000 to £70,000. “We’re well pleased with the price achieved for this historic set of lyrics,” said auctioneer Paul Fairweather after the sale. A 2009 letter on Neal Peters Collection stationery, detailing how Bowie gave Peters the lyrics, was also included in the auction lot, as were numerous photocopied documents about the fan club.

By Silviya Y09 Feb 2023

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David Bowie's Handwritten 'Jean Genie' Lyrics Were Auctioned Off

The handwritten lyrics to David Bowie's classic single 'The Jean Genie' were auctioned off for £57,000.

The A4 lined sheet, titled, dated, and signed by the late icon, was given to Neal Peters in 1973 who was the President of the New York-based David Bowie Fan Club. The previous owner decided to sell the piece of music history, after seeing Bowie's 'Starman' lyrics fetch a whopping £203,500 at auction in 2022. Pre-sale estimates for the 'Jean Genie' lyrics ranged from £50,000 to £70,000.

David Bowie | Spotify — Image Courtesy: Spotify

“We’re well pleased with the price achieved for this historic set of lyrics,” said auctioneer Paul Fairweather after the sale.

A 2009 letter on Neal Peters Collection stationery, detailing how Bowie gave Peters the lyrics, was also included in the auction lot, as were numerous photocopied documents about the fan club.

Bidding is currently at £46k ahead of next Tuesday's sale of the #DavidBowie handwritten Jean Genie lyrics. Previous set of handwritten lyrics for 'Starman' fetched £200k (inc premiums)..https://t.co/UszngrZvCY pic.twitter.com/odeK2Vhb2q
— Omega Auctions (@OmegaAuctions) February 3, 2023

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'The Jean Genie' which was released in November 1972, was the lead single from Bowie's sixth studio album, 'Aladdin Sane' (1973). The song peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.

In April, a special 50th anniversary reissue of 'Aladdin Sane' will be released. The album will be available as a half-speed mastered LP as well as a picture disc LP pressed from the same master.

Handwritten David Bowie 'Jean Genie' Lyrics Sold At Auction — Image Courtesy: Radio Nova

Last month, a 4K remastered version of 'The Jean Genie' music video was released to commemorate the announcement.

David Bowie's golden years – in pictures | Fashion | The Guardian — Image Courtesy: The Guardian

Bowie's daughter recently shared a home video to commemorate the seventh anniversary of her father's death. The singer died on 10^th January, 2016, after a private 18-month battle with cancer. On his 69th birthday on 8th January, Bowie released his 26th and final studio album, 'Blackstar', just two days prior.

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Silviya Y