Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen Auctioning 300 Items, Including Prized Guitars

Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick is auctioning off over 300 items from his extensive collection, including 70-plus guitars, in partnership with Julien's Auctions. The proceeds from the sale will go to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The auction will be held live on October 24th at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville.

Among the items up for bid are one of Nielsen's iconic five-neck Hamer guitars, a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, handwritten lyrics to "Heaven Tonight," and a custom checkered design John Deere tractor with a snowplow. The collection also features a rarity - one of only three 1963 Guild Merle Travis guitars ever made.

Nielsen expressed his excitement about the auction, stating, "I couldn't sing or dance, but I was big into songwriting, and I tried to put everything I had into that. I never wanted to be like anybody else—I just wanted to be me." He added that he had expanded his guitar collection over the years, and this seems like a good time to part with some of it.

Lou Robinson, director of music business development for Julien's, praised Nielsen's collection, calling it "incredible" and "ranging from world famous to infamous." The auction items have been "played and worn on stages around the world" and some have even ended up in museums. Robinson expressed pride in Julien's being able to tell Nielsen's story and provide fans the opportunity to own a piece of his legacy.