Freddie Mercury’s piano to go under the hammer
Freddie Mercury’s piano to go under the hammer
Telegraph reportersSun, August 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM UTC
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An 82-lot archive of items related to Freddie Mercury is expected to make hundreds of thousands of pounds - Gary Gershoff/Getty Images/Archive Photos
A piano and microphone used by Freddie Mercury, along with early drafts of his songwriting, are expected to fetch hundreds of thousands of pounds at auction in October.
The items to be sold at the Propstore auction are part of the Reinhold Mack Collection, an 82-lot archive offered for sale by the German producer who worked frequently with Queen, and his son Freddie Mack, Mercury’s godson.
Among the collection is the Yamaha C3 grand piano from Munich’s Musicland Studios, which Mercury played while composing solo material as well as some of Queen’s hits, including Crazy Little Thing Called Love. He also used it during the recording of The Game, Hot Space and The Works.
Other artists also played the Yamaha C3, including Leonard Cohen, The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Donna Summer and Bryan Ferry.
It is considered the most significant artefact related to Mercury to come to market since the sale of his personal collection in 2023, carrying a pre-sale estimate of £200,000-£400,000.
The Yamaha C3 grand piano was used by artists such as Freddie Mercury, Leonard Cohen, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones - Propstore/PA
Also featured in the sale is the AKG C414 EB microphone used to record Mercury’s lead and backing vocals at Musicland Studios.
Mack favoured the microphone and used it throughout his work with Queen.
The microphone is offered with its original Sennheiser bag and the red XLR cable used at Musicland Studios, with a pre-sale estimate of £40,000-£80,000.
The AKG C414 EB microphone used to record Freddie Mercury’s lead and backing vocals at Musicland Studios is also up for sale - Andrew Matthews/PA
The collection also includes Mercury’s early handwritten lyrics, which feature alternate and unused lines, for My Love Is Dangerous and Let’s Turn It On, both from his 1985 debut solo album, Mr Bad Guy.
The My Love Is Dangerous lyrics, which had originally been titled Dangerous, also include handwritten chord arrangements on the reverse, while Let’s Turn It On appears under the shortened working title Turn It On.
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The sets of lyrics are estimated to sell for £3,000-£6,000 and £1,500-£3,000 respectively.
Also up for auction is a teddy bear that Mercury offered to the Mack family, which is estimated to sell for £800-£1,600.
Freddie Mercury’s drafted lyrics include alternative lines and titles - Archive Photos/Getty Images
Before the auction, these items and several more will be put on display at a free exhibition at The Cumberland Hotel in London from Sept 23 to 27.
Mack said: “Freddie was not only a colleague and close friend – in many ways, he was part of our family.
“Away from the countless hours we spent creating music together at Musicland Studios, our home in Munich became a place where he could escape the pressures of fame, relax and simply be himself.
“To us, he was never a celebrity – he was Uncle Freddie, spending time with his godson Freddie Jr, playing table tennis with [Mack’s eldest son], Julian, and celebrating family birthdays with us.”
He continued: “We have carefully preserved these items for decades, not because of their value but because of the memories they hold.
“We now feel the time has come for others to enjoy and appreciate them, and we hope they offer fans a connection not only to Freddie’s extraordinary artistry, but also to the warm, funny and kind-hearted man we were privileged to know.
“The memories we shared can never be auctioned; they will remain with our family forever.”
The auction will take place on Oct 1 and Oct 2.
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