A collection of 50 artifacts dating to early in Bob Dylan's career—including three drafts of his song "Mr. Tambourine Man," his first No. 1 hit in the US—will be open to bidders this month. Julien's Auctions is handling the sale of items from the collection of the late Al Aronowitz, a rock journalist and friend of Dylan's, CNN reports. His son, Myles, said the collection reflects his Aronowitz's "ability to identify and connect with greatness," adding, "he understood what these artists were trying to do." The auction house predicts some items could bring as much as $600,000 while putting the value of others around $100. Up for bid are:
- "Mr. Tambourine Man": The drafts show the evolution of the lyrics, with the writer replacing "priceless" with "magic," for instance. Aronowitz said he pulled the drafts out of the trash after Dylan worked on the song all night at the journalist's home in New Jersey, per the Guardian. The drafts have Dylan's shorthand as the lyrics poured out: "tho you might hear laughin spinnin swingin madly thru the sun." Aronowitz later wrote, "I took the crumpled sheets, smoothed them out, read the crazy leaping lines, smiled to myself at the leaps that never landed and then put the sheets into a file folder."
- Other art: An oil painting Dylan completed in 1968 and signed is valued at $200,000 to $300,000. Vintage photos of the artist are included in the lot.
- Guitar: A 1983 Fender Telecaster made for Dylan, forecast to bring more than $80,000, per Variety.
- First gig: A leaflet promoting the first major concert Dylan headlined. The show took place in 1963 at Town Hall in New York City. The setlist included "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Masters of War," per setlist.fm.
The auction is scheduled for the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on Jan. 18. Julien's displays the items
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