Legendary Guitar, Tambourine to be Auctioned by Heritage!

Musician Bruce Langhorne was Inspiration for Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man"

Dallas, TX: You're familiar with Bruce Langhorne and his work, although you may not know it.

As a studio musician, Langhorne contributed his talents to some of the most popular albums of the 1960s, 70s, and beyond, including the Chad Mitchell Trio's "Blowin' in the Wind" (1962), Bob Dylan's "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" (1963), Joan Baez's "Farewell, Angelina" (1965), "Little Wheel Spin and Spin" (1966) by Buffy Sainte-Marie, "Mixed Bag" (1967) by Richie Havens, and Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Lightfoot" (1969). As a composer, he's scored over a dozen films, such as Melvin and Howard (1980), Night Warning (1983), and The Argument (1999). He's even the creator of Brother Bru-Bru's African Hot Sauce.

Arguably, however, Langhorne's biggest claim to fame is that he was the inspiration for Bob Dylan's classic hit, "Mr. Tambourine Man." According to Langhorne, Dylan saw him paying a big, Turkish-style frame drum - a style that has bells inside the rim giving it a tambourine-like sound - at a party and music history was made. That tambourine, along with the 1920 Martin guitar that Langhorne played throughout his career, will be auctioned by Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries in October 2007.

"This is music history that you can hold in your hand," said Doug Norwine, Director of Music & Entertainment auctions for Heritage. "Offering the tambourine that inspired 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' which has been a featured exhibit in Seattle's Experience Music Project until recently, as well as the guitar that played the opening chord on 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' and the solo on 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright,' is like finding the paintbrush that DaVinci used to paint the Mona Lisa. The fact that neither of these incredibly significant instruments have never been offered to the collecting public before makes them doubly exciting."

"Like many musicians, Langhorne started off playing on the street and in small clubs in New York in the 1950s," Norwine said. "It wasn't too long, however, before Langhorne's talent became apparent, and he began playing with some of the day's leading artists, including Dylan, Joan Baez, Simon & Garfunkel, Richard and Mimi Farina, Gordon Lightfoot and more. His story is even more impressive when one realizes that, due to a childhood injury, Langhorne was missing several fingers on one hand, and had to teach himself a special adaptive method of playing guitar. That he not only succeeded, but reached the very top of his chosen profession, is a testament to his drive, his dedication, and his innate talent."

"From classic albums to movie soundtracks to hot sauce, Bruce Langhorne has done it all," Norwine said. "He's a creative genius, and we're proud to offer these important instruments in our upcoming auction."

"If the music of the latter half of the twentieth century means anything to you at all, Norwine said, "you owe it to yourself to check out these legendary instruments. It's as easy as visiting www.HA.com, where you'll find full-color, enlargeable images of each lot, our complete and informative catalog descriptions and even the ability to place your bids online from the comfort and convenience of your home or office."

Heritage Auction Galleries will hold their upcoming Music and Entertainment Signature auction on October 6 & 7, 2007, at their headquarters in Dallas, TX.

"Mr. Tambourine Man" Bruce Langhorne's 1920 Martin 1-21 Guitar Used in Historic Bob Dylan Recordings:
ESTIMATE: $30,000 & up

"Mr. Tambourine Man" Bruce Langhorne's Historic Tambourine, Inspiration for Bob Dylan's Recording:
ESTIMATE: $45,000 & up

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com

Prospective consignors and sellers of Entertainment, Celebrity or Hollywood memorabilia are invited to www.HA.com/Sell. Or simply email Doug Norwine at DougN@HA.com or call 1-800-8782-6467, ext. 452.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Client Services at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 150, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog to order by email.