A highly-prized collection of Sir Elton John memorabilia was sold at auction by his mother for £28,820.
The treasure trove included more than 100 gold and platinum discs, tour jackets and VIP passes his mother, Sheila Farebrother, used for backstage access at his concerts.
Some of the top items included a music box modelled as a piano, which was a gift from Sir Elton, which sold for £1,200 and Mrs Farebrother’s personal collection of records which sold for £700.
Also sold was a large American billboard multiple disc presentation for 43 million album sales in the Unites States, which fetched £1,500.
A second collection of Sir Elton items raised a total of £42,305 including £2,300 for a Theo Fennell 18ct gold cross and £320 for a group of 35 Elton John bobble-head figures.
Mrs Farebrother said: “I am delighted with the success of the sale, his fans have been able to buy a slice of Sir Elton history and the whole event has brought back some wonderful memories.”
Mrs Farebrother sold the collection at Gorringes Auctioneers in Lewes, East Sussex, because she has downsized to a new home on the south coast.
She said: “From an early age Sir Elton would love to perform at family weddings and birthdays.
“When his career as a performer began to take off I would go along to his concerts and my main concern was that he wouldn’t forget any of his lyrics.It wasn’t until the concert in Madison Square Garden in 1974 when John Lennon made an appearance on stage and sang with Elton that I realised he had become a world superstar.”
Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, on March 25 1947, Sir Elton has sold more than 250 million records in a career spanning five decades.
His career has marked him out as one of the world’s most successful musicians, and his accolades include an Oscar and Grammy awards. He established the Elton John Aids Foundation in 1992 and went on to be knighted in 1998.