It looked as though one guest on Antiques Roadshow was blown away after learning the value of her rare item. On Sunday night, viewers were taken to the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, where expert Raj Bisram spoke to one woman about the items she had brought in.
With three sheets of paper laid out on a table, the expert admitted he instantly recognised the signatures on them. Going over each one, people watching learned they were autographs from Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell.
He said: “The three of them were the Jimi Hendrix Experience. I mean, Jimi was one of the greatest musicians that ever lived. You know, he was from Seattle originally. They met up in 1966.”
Thrilled by the items, Raj questioned how the woman obtained the three autographs. She confessed that her friend was a huge Jimi Hendrix fan, as he had a song called Foxy Lady, which was similar to her last name.
The woman added: “She (her friend) had a friend who managed to get us not only tickets but backstage press passes for the concert. It was part of Queen’s University Festival in Belfast. We were up at the front, it was very loud! But it was a great concert.”
The woman had brought in three autographs from iconic musicians (Image: BBC)
She explained that the musician played his usual songs and then played his guitar with his teeth at the end. However, Raj highlighted the concert the woman had attended was quite unusual.
The expert informed people that it was Jimi’s birthday when this event happened. Telling Raj the concert was on his 25th birthday, she added: “The organisers at the festival have arranged to have a birthday cake for him, and they presented it to him backstage.
“Because we had press passes, we were allowed to go backstage. So he was there, and the cake was on a table; I don’t think he was eating the cake from what I can remember! He was drinking a bottle of whiskey.”
The woman told the star that as they didn’t have an autograph book with them, Jimi, Mitch and Noel had signed the back of their tickets instead.
The woman attended Jimi Hendrix’s concert on his 25th birthday (Image: BBC)
Raj was amazed by the autographs as he replied: “To have them all these years! To keep them in such good condition!” The woman explained she’d put them in an envelope and put them away for safekeeping.
He added: “I mean, people do that but then they forget where they put the envelope! So to actually remember it and to keep these is absolutely lovely.
“Of course, unfortunately, he died very young, which makes some of these memorabilia that he’s left behind even more valuable.”
When it came to giving an estimation on how much Raj believed the items could be sold for if they went up for auction, he confessed Jimi’s would be more valuable. However, having all three of them together made it special.
Antiques Roadshow guest yells ‘you’re joking!’ after staggering value of icon’s autograph (Image: BBC)
He said: “If these went into auction, they would make somewhere between £5,000 and £7,000.” The woman was visibly shocked as her mouth dropped open.
She yelled: “What?! You’re joking! That’s crazy, crazy, crazy.” As Raj confirmed she had heard correct, the audience erupted into a round of applause.
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on iPlayer.