Every so often we get word about an eBay auction of serious interest to punk collectors. This auction has several items and the proceeds go for a good cause.
The main item up for bid - at least as far as I’m concerned - is this old ratty Clash T-shirt. I’m sure it looks like a lot of the old ratty Clash T-shirts that we own, but this one has a bit more history than ours do.
The year was 1976, and The Clash was about to release its debut album, The Clash. Paul Simonon, the band’s bassist, was also chiefly responsible for the band's clothing and stage backdrops. He silk-screened the t-shirts for the Clash's shows. This is one of the shirts that Simonon screened by hand.
If that weren’t enough history (and believe you me, it is), in 1977 Simonon gave this shirt to punk priestess Patti Smith. Smith later gave it to her drummer, Jay Dee Daugherty. It’s Daugherty who has donated this shirt for auction, with the proceeds going to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is an incredibly cool concept in and of itself. In 1992, musician Victoria Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Like most musicians, she had no health insurance and was facing insurmountable medical bills. Friends took notice, and through a series of benefit concerts they raised over $20,000 for her medical bills and treatment.
Inspired by this, Williams founded Sweet Relief Musicians Fund in 1994, national charity providing financial assistance to musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. It’s a way that fans can give back to musicians who’ve made a life out of giving us entertainment and are facing health problems for that very reason.
You can see/bid on the shirt here, and while this is the coolest of the prizes in my book, there are also a few other choice items up for auction, including VIP guest list tickets for an X show in Dallas.
At press time, the shirt was up to $157.50, and while it will probably still go higher before the auction ends a week from today, it’s something to seriously consider bidding on if you have the means. It’s pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
Further reading: A brief bio of The Clash.
Photo courtesy of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
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