Late Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts’ Book Collection Fetches High Prices at Auction

Updated:

September 29, 2023 3:29 pm

American Songwriter participates in affiliate programs with various companies. Links originating on American Songwriter’s website that lead to purchases or reservations on affiliate sites generate revenue for American Songwriter . This means that American Songwriter may earn a commission if/when you click on or make purchases via affiliate links.

Before his death in 2021, Charlie Watts laid down the groove for one of the most iconic rock bands of all time. The late Rolling Stones drummer is still making waves from beyond the grave. Recently, a portion of his vast collection of novels went to auction at Christie’s. His books set auction records and brought in hundreds of thousands of pounds at the famous British auction house.

Videos by American Songwriter

During his life, Watts amassed an impressive collection of modern literature. Since his passing, those books have been in high demand at auction. According to Far Out Magazine, Christie’s book specialist Benedict Winter spoke highly of Watts’ book collection.

“Charlie Watts holds a unique position within music history and Christie’s is proud to pay tribute to his extraordinary achievements and multifaceted legacy,” Winter said. “Charlie built his collection of modern literature and jazz with passion, intelligence, and dedication, and this two-part auction celebrates his distinguished collecting taste,” he added.

Watts owned a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles, featuring an inscription by author Arthur Conan Doyle. The inscription reads, “I perambulated Dartmoor before I wrote this book.” The tome sold for £214,200. This surpassed the price of the previous highest bid on one of Doyle’s books by nearly £100,000. Additionally, the late drummer’s first-edition copy of The Great Gatsby sold for £226,800.

Those classics sold for massive sums. However, they may not be the most impressive auction items from Watts’ collection. His copy of Agatha Christie’s The Thirteen Problems set a new record after selling for £60,480. Before that, the highest bid on one of Christie’s books was £47,880 for a copy of The ABC Murders.

Watts’ copies of other Agatha Christie novels also brought handsome sums of money. The Murder at the Vicarage and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd sold for a combined total of £90,720. The late rocker’s copy of Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh sparked a bidding war at Christie’s. It finally sold for £60,480.

It’s no surprise to see these items bringing in handsome prices. After all, they’re antique copies of classic novels that were once owned by a rock and roll icon. Few collectors could pass up such a find.

Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images