George Michael’s iconic “Faith” guitar is going up for auction today, but the sale has sparked a family dispute over who should inherit the late singer’s memorabilia — and whether the collection should be sold in his former assistant’s name.
The original 1940s Gretsch Synchromatic 160 acoustic guitar, seen in the video for Michael’s 1987 hit “Faith,” is among 32 lots in Sworders auctioneers’ Faith & Fame: A Personal George Michael Collection. The items belonged to Siobhan Bailey, Michael’s longtime personal assistant and confidante, who worked with him for 20 years.
Bailey died in 2014, and her widower, Ian Belcher, is now selling the collection. But her brother, Gerard Bailey, says his sister would never have wanted her cherished possessions auctioned off.
“She 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,” he told BBC News.
According to Gerard Bailey, his sister was divorcing Belcher when she died and had begun drafting a will that would have left her George Michael memorabilia to her nieces and nephews. She died before the will was registered, however, and Belcher appears to have the legal right to sell the items.
Bailey has asked for the auction to be halted, objecting in particular to the use of his sister’s name to promote the sale. He described Belcher’s “misuse of my sister’s name” as “frankly dishonorable,” according to the BBC. Although he acknowledges Belcher’s legal right to sell the collection, he considers holding the auction in Bailey’s name “disingenuous.”
The lots include Gold records commemorating hits such as “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” Michael’s breakthrough with the group Wham!, as well as rare cassettes, acetate singles — some marked “Not for Sale” — and signed photographs bearing personal inscriptions to Bailey.
The Gretsch is the collection’s standout piece. Bailey says it was a gift to his sister. The song “Faith,” meanwhile, became the title track of Michael’s debut solo album and spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the run-up to filming, Michael was browsing shops in Los Angeles’ Melrose district when he came across the Gretsch in a pawn shop. Although he was capable on both guitar and bass, he chose the archtop primarily for its visual appeal, recognizing that it would make the ideal prop for the “Faith” video.
As Guitar World reported, Michael owned at least two other Gretsch Synchromatic guitars, which were used as stage props during live performances. To establish whether the auction guitar was the one seen in the “Faith” video, Sworders examined its history and physical details.
According to Guy Schooling, Sworders’ chairman and head of Art & Antiques, the consignors had long believed the guitar was the original video instrument. Its connection to Bailey provided an important starting point, while distinctive damage offered further evidence. Missing sections of plastic body trim, along with specific marks and cracks, matched what could be seen in the video.
Those details also informed the decision to preserve the guitar rather than restore it extensively. After roughly three years of investigation, Guy said Sworders was confident in its identification. The auction house estimates the instrument will sell for £60,000 ($80,000) to £120,000 ($160,000), citing the £176,400 ($235,000) sale earlier this year of Michael’s leather jacket as a point of comparison.
The collection is expected to fetch more than $250,000.
Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, Michael scored 10 number one singles in the U.S. and 13 in the U.K. He publicly came out as gay in 1998 and later became an advocate for LGBT rights and a fundraiser for HIV/AIDS charities. He died of heart disease on Christmas Day 2016, aged 53.
