Freddie Mercury’s Piano, Microphone and Handwritten Lyrics Head to October Auction

Propstore is set to auction a piano, a microphone and handwritten lyric sheets tied to Freddie Mercury on October 1 and 2, 2026. The items belong to the Reinhold Mack Collection, an 82-lot archive being sold by German producer Reinhold Mack, a frequent Queen collaborator, together with his son Freddie Jr, who was Mercury’s only godson.

• Yamaha C3 grand piano from Munich’s Musicland Studios: estimated at 200,000 to 400,000 pounds (roughly $272,800 to $528,000)
• AKG C414 EB microphone with original Sennheiser bag and red XLR cable: estimated at 40,000 to 80,000 pounds
• Handwritten “My Love Is Dangerous” lyrics with chord notations: estimated at 3,000 to 6,000 pounds
• Handwritten “Let’s Turn It On” lyrics: estimated at 1,500 to 3,000 pounds
• Teddy bear Mercury gave to the Mack family: estimated at 800 to 1,600 pounds

What Makes the Yamaha Piano and Microphone Significant

The Yamaha C3 grand piano spent years inside Musicland Studios in Munich, where Mercury sat at its keys while writing solo material and Queen tracks such as “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” The same instrument was used on the Queen albums “The Game,” “Hot Space” and “The Works,” and it also passed through the hands of Leonard Cohen, the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Donna Summer and Bryan Ferry during their own Musicland sessions.

Reporting on the sale describes the piano as the most notable Mercury-connected object to reach auction since his personal collection was sold in 2023. The AKG C414 EB microphone rounds out the studio gear on offer; it captured Mercury’s lead and backing vocals at Musicland and is being sold with its original carrying bag and cable.

Handwritten Lyrics From Mercury’s Mr. Bad Guy Sessions

Two sets of working lyrics in Mercury’s own hand trace back to “Mr. Bad Guy,” his 1985 debut solo album. The draft for “My Love Is Dangerous” was written under the earlier title “Dangerous” and has handwritten chord notes on its back side, while the draft for “Let’s Turn It On” carries the working title “Turn It On.” Both pages contain lines that were altered or dropped before the songs reached their final recorded form.

Public Exhibition Ahead of the Propstore Sale

Before the lots go to auction, the collection will be shown to the public free of charge at The Cumberland Hotel in London from September 23 to 27, 2026.

Reinhold Mack on His Family’s Bond With Freddie Mercury

Reinhold Mack described Mercury as far more than a studio partner, saying he was “not only a colleague and close friend” but “part of our family.” He recalled Mercury as “Uncle Freddie,” a presence at family birthdays who spent time with godson Freddie Jr and played table tennis with Mack’s eldest son, Julian.

Mack said the objects had stayed in his family’s keeping for decades for sentimental reasons rather than financial ones. “The memories we shared can never be auctioned; they will remain with our family forever,” he said.

More Info

• Freddie Mercury’s Yamaha grand piano goes under the hammer after 40 years with his producer for up to $528,000, carrying the legacy of his Munich Musicland years and a résumé that includes Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and Donna Summer. | luxurylaunches.com
• Freddie Mercury’s piano, handwritten lyrics set for auction | dailysabah.com
• LANDMARK GRAND PIANO PLAYED EXTENSIVELY BY FREDDIE MERCURY, RECORDING MIC & HANDWRITTEN LYRICS HIT MUSIC AUCTION | einnews.com
• Freddie Mercury’s piano, microphone and songwriting drafts go up for auction | itv.com
• Freddie Mercury’s piano and handwritten lyrics set for October auction | tribune.com.pk
• Freddie Mercury’s piano to go under the hammer | telegraph.co.uk
• Freddie Mercury piano and microphone to go under the hammer | belfasttelegraph.co.uk
• Freddie Mercury piano and microphone to go under the hammer | aol.ca