THE first genuine piece of Bob Marley’s hair to come up for auction in over 20 years will be sold in Jersey next week.
The 1.5-inch dreadlock is set to be auctioned on Thursday 9 April at St Helier-based company JC Auctions.
Bids start from £5,000, but the lock is expected to make between £20,000 and £25,000 as the first genuine piece of Bob Marley’s hair to come up for auction since 2003.
The consignor was a teenager when the reggae star allowed her to take a piece of his hair during a Top of the Pops recording at BBC Television Centre in June 1978.
Bob Marley and the Wailers were there to perform their new single, Satisfy my Soul.
The seller explained: “After Bob Marley had finished singing, myself and a friend went up onto the platform where he was performing.
“He was chuckling away and I asked if I could take off a piece of his hair. He just kept nodding and chuckling and appeared amused by it, so I twisted a piece of his dreadlock off.
“And he of course gave me his autograph as well.”
That autograph – worth around £4,000 alone – accompanies the dreadlock in the lot.
Paul Fraser of JC Auctions is anticipating considerable interest in the rare piece.
“Demand is strong for Bob Marley memorabilia,” he explained. “He died so young, there just isn’t much around.”
Mr Fraser said he was “honoured” to bring Bob Marley’s hair to auction.
“Marley ignited global awareness of Rastafarianism and dreadlocks, and brought the religious significance of the hairstyle to the world’s attention. This lock is the physical embodiment of that legacy,” he added.
“We’re seeing a real boom in hair collecting. Collectors love owning a genuine part of their heroes.”
