Abilene's NPR Station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sold For Over $2 Million: A Draft, A Few Doodles And A 'Rolling Stone'

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LIKE A ROLLING STONE")

BOB DYLAN: (Singing) Once upon a time you dressed so fine. You threw the bums a dime in your prime.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

There's a Dylan fan out there who certainly won't be scrounging for his next meal.

DYLAN: (Singing) How does it feel?

CORNISH: Sotheby's says the lyrics of "Like A Rolling Stone" have set a world record for a popular music manuscript. The handwritten lyrics sold today for $2,045,000. As we mentioned when Sotheby's first announced the auction, Dylan wrote the song on four pages of stationery from the Roger Smith Hotel in D.C. The hotel isn't around anymore. Alongside the lyrics, there are doodles and the name Al Capone is written in a margin. Sotheby says the pages came from an unnamed fan who bought them directly from Dylan. The winning bidder is unidentified as well. Sotheby's also sold some other rock memorabilia today - the peacock jumpsuit Elvis Presley wore during his Las Vegas performances sold for $245,000 - sweat stains included.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "VIVA LAS VEGAS")

ELVIS PRESLEY: (Singing) Viva Las Vegas. Viva Las Vegas . Viva Las Vegas with you neon flashin'. And your one armbandits crashin'. All those hopes down the drain. Viva Las Vegas, turnin' day into nighttime. Turnin' night into daytime. If you see it once you'll never be the same again. I'm gonna keep on the run. I'm gonna have me some fun if it costs me my very last dime. If I wind up broke up well...

CORNISH: You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Audie Cornish
Over two decades of journalism, Audie Cornish has become a recognized and trusted voice on the airwaves as co-host of NPR's flagship news program, All Things Considered.