George Michael’s iconic guitar from his 1987 hit ‘Faith’ music video has sold for £234,000 at auction, amid a family dispute over the sale of the late singer’s personal memorabilia. The instrument was among 32 lots from the collection of Siobhan Bailey, Michael’s longtime personal assistant and trusted confidante, being auctioned by Sworders.According to the BBC, the auction sparked a dispute between Bailey’s family and her estranged husband, Ian Belcher, who is selling the items after inheriting them following her death in 2014. Her brother, Gerard Bailey, has strongly objected to the sale, claiming his sister would have been horrified to see her cherished possessions auctioned off.
Why George Michael’s guitar auction sparked a family dispute
The guitar, which Michael played in the video for ‘Faith’, was gifted to Siobhan Bailey by the singer, according to her brother. Bailey worked with Michael for two decades, beginning in 1984, when his band Wham! was enjoying its rise to fame.Gerard told the BBC that his sister was in the process of divorcing Belcher when she died suddenly at the age of 56. However, the couple were still legally married, and she had not left a registered will. As a result, her estate passed to Belcher.Her brother claimed that Siobhan had begun preparing a will shortly before her death, intending to leave the items to her nieces and nephews, but the document was never registered. He also argued that, had she lived a few weeks longer, the possessions would not have passed to her estranged husband.There is no suggestion that Belcher lacks the legal right to sell the items. However, Gerard has criticised the decision to conduct the auction under his sister’s name and has asked that the sale be cancelled or promoted in Belcher’s name instead.In a letter to the auction house, seen by the BBC, Gerard described the auction as a breach of his sister’s privacy. He also called the use of her name “disingenuous” and “wholly unethical”, while describing the decision to profit from the collection as “egregiously shameful”.He told the BBC that his sister “would be horrified at the prospect of the auction being held in her name and that her personal, cherished possessions are being sold off to the highest bidder”.Both Sworders and Belcher declined to comment on the dispute.
George Michael’s guitar played a key role in his solo reinvention
Siobhan Bailey’s brother Gerard has objected to the auction of memorabilia belonging to the late George Michael aide. (Photo: Instagram)
The Gretsch Synchromatic guitar featured prominently in the 1987 music video for ‘Faith’, one of Michael’s most recognisable solo hits. In the video, the singer appeared in ripped blue Levi’s jeans, a white T-shirt and a black leather biker jacket, strumming the acoustic instrument.Michael had reportedly bought the guitar from a shop in Los Angeles shortly before filming the video. Its appearance became closely associated with his transformation from a teen pop idol in Wham! into a successful solo artist.Guitarist magazine recently described it as “arguably the most famous Gretsch Synchromatic in the world”.The instrument was initially estimated to fetch between £60,000 and £120,000, but ultimately sold for £234,000, significantly exceeding the upper end of its estimate.
Other George Michael memorabilia also went under the hammer
The auction featured 32 items from Bailey’s collection, including personal documents, photographs and memorabilia associated with Michael and Wham! Several items reportedly attracted bids above their estimates.Among them was a Filofax from Michael’s 1988 ‘Faith’ tour, containing Bailey’s handwritten notes and annotations. It had an estimated value of up to £600, but received a bid of £1,750.Other lots included a note from Michael and Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley, signed photographs, an invitation to Ridgeley’s 21st birthday party, and gold and platinum awards presented to Bailey to mark sales milestones achieved by Michael’s music.Gerard said his sister was proud of the personalised music awards but had remained modest about her association with the singer. He also maintained that she would never have agreed to the sale of her personal papers and correspondence.“I think she’d be devastated that something as personal as her Filofax and notes from George are up for grabs. It’s just so tawdry and contrary to how she was,” he told the BBC.He added that the family believed the possessions should have remained with them and accused Belcher of deciding, 12 years after his sister’s death, to “cash in” on the collection.
Siobhan Bailey’s two-decade association with George Michael
Bailey began working as Michael’s personal assistant in 1984, the year Wham! scored their first UK number-one hit with ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’. She remained in the role for 20 years, helping the singer navigate the demands of fame while protecting his privacy.According to her brother, she was among the few people Michael deeply trusted and whose opinions he valued.“I think she was one of the few people George trusted and whose opinion he valued,” Gerard told the BBC. “She was always honest and straight with him. I guess that’s why she stayed working for him for so long through the very, very good and not so good times.”He said the guitar was a gift from Michael because the singer thought so highly of his sister.Michael, who rose to international fame with Wham! before building a hugely successful solo career with songs including ‘Careless Whisper’, ‘Father Figure’, ‘Faith’, ‘Outside’ and ‘Fastlove’, died in 2016.Sworders auctioneer Guy Schooling told Guitarist magazine that Belcher had been traumatised by Bailey’s sudden death and had kept the memorabilia stored in his garage for years. Schooling said Belcher was eventually persuaded that the items could not remain there indefinitely because they risked deteriorating.Bailey’s family, however, remains opposed to the sale, arguing that the collection represents a deeply personal chapter in her life and her relationship with one of pop music’s most celebrated artists.
