'Antiques Roadshow' guest left in disbelief after hearing the value of album signed by an iconic rock band
A good musical record might be priceless, but that does not stop guests from bringing them on “Antiques Roadshow” for an assessment from time to time. In an earlier episode of the show, one guest brought the record called “My Generation” by the legendary English rock band The Who. However, this was not just any ordinary record. This one was signed by the four founding members of the band, who are often considered some of the greatest of all time.
The Who was formed in London in 1964 by vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. Those four musicians today have gone down in history as rock legends for their work as a part of the band and with other projects. Giles Moon was the expert on the show for this item, and he asked the guest how he got his hands on such an item.
“I worked in a used record store,” he said before revealing that he was only 12 when he started working. “The person who owned this album and another Who album that was signed approached me and said, 'Yeah, I’m selling these two autographed Who albums. Would you like to buy them?' and I said, 'Of course.' This was in around 1983, early ‘80s in Nova Scotia.” The guest also revealed that he had paid $75 at the time for the record.
Now, there are a lot of classic records signed by the artists who wrote and recorded them, but this one was special for a very specific reason. Keith Moon, the drummer of the band, passed away at the age of 32 and is considered one of the greatest rock drummers of all time. There are not a lot of items that have his signature on them. That is exactly what the expert, who shared the same last name, explained to him.
“You may well know, being a Who fan, that Keith Moon wasn’t around for too long. Unfortunately, he passed. He was quite young when he passed. So, the fact that you’ve got a fully signed album here that includes Keith Moon signed - it is in the dark area - it’s a little difficult to see, but it is there. When you add him into the mix, it really does raise its value,” he said.
Another reason why this signed record might be worth a lot of money is that it was the My Generation album, one of the most critically acclaimed ones in the band’s history. “And in anything vintage, which is another key area here, is the fact that it’s on a great album, My Generation, which came out in late 1965. So, to a Who collector, it’s one of the most sought-after things to have signed,” Moon added.
The expert then revealed that at an auction, it could fetch somewhere from $2,000 to $4,000. “Wow, no kidding,” the guest said upon hearing the valuation. Not too shabby for something bought in the ‘80s for $75.
