An Important Piece of Elvis Presley Lore Is Headed To Auction

Taking off with his 1956 No. 1 single “Heartbreak Hotel”, Elvis Presley quickly became the biggest thing music had ever seen. In the early 1960s, after continuing to record throughout a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, the world’s biggest rock n’ roll star put his music career on pause to focus on the big screen. Appearing in films like 1961’s Blue Hawaii and Girl Harbor (1965), the King of Rock and Roll returned to the stage in dramatic fashion with Singer Presents… Elvis, a concert TV special that aired Dec. 3, 1968, on NBC. Now, the iconic Hagstrom Viking II electric guitar he played during the performance that relaunched his music career is headed to auction. It is expected to sell for anywhere from $1 to $2 million.

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Elvis Presley Played This Guitar Just One Time

Sotheby’s will sell the cherry-red, Swedish-made semi-hollow-body guitar, which Elvis would never pick up again after that historic performance. In fact, he had planned on playing a different guitar entirely. However, a color scheme clash led to the “Hound Dog” crooner borrowing session guitarist Al Casey’s instrument.

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“This guitar became a symbol of Elvis’ legendary comeback,” Sotheby’s Music and Pop Culture Specialist Craig Inciardi told Rolling Stone. “Guitars have always been central to his image, but seeing Elvis return to the stage after years away, dressed in his iconic black leather outfit and playing this guitar, created one of the most enduring images in rock history. It marked a pivotal moment, reconnecting him with a generation of fans and cementing his status as the King of Rock ’n’ Roll.”

Online bidding runs from April 9-23. From April 13-20, Sotheby’s will display the guitar at the Breuer Building in New York City.

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Why Elvis Was Reluctant to Do the 1968 Comeback Special

Initially, Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, pitched the singer’s return to the stage as a hokey (but expensive) Christmas special. The “Jailhouse Rock” singer wasn’t keen on the idea of singing Christmas carols. Fortunately, producer Bob Finkel convinced him there’d be enough recorded for a soundtrack album and a Christmas single, too.

The comeback special put the King of Rock and Roll back on the map, leading to a residency at Las Vegas’ International Hotel and hits like “Suspicious Minds” and “The Wonder of You”.

“It just fired him up to be in front of people again,” guitarist Mike Deasy said. “He had a charisma where he and the audience became one thing. Not just the little girls, but also women and everybody got caught up in it.”

Featured image by: Frank Carroll/Gary Null/NBC via Getty Images