We’re excited to announce today that a collection of instruments from the great vaudevillian, singer, and musician Leon Redbone has been listed on Reverb.
After being mentioned by Bob Dylan in a Rolling Stone interview in the early ‘70s, Redbone signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records and released his debut, On the Track, kicking off a prolific career that spanned decades.
Redbone has recorded and released 16 studio albums, performed frequently on both Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, performed the theme song for shows like Mr. Belvedere and Harry and the Hendersons, and done voice-over work, including the 2011 Emmy-winning documentary Remembering the Scranton Sirens and voicing the character of Leon the Snowman in Elf (2003).
Now, after announcing his retirement back in 2015, Redbone is parting with the instruments he’s collected over the years for use in recording studios and on stages around the globe. Included in the sale are vintage guitars like a 1926 Gibson L-3 in three-tone Cherry Burst and the 1930 Martin OM-18 that he played on the SNL stage in 1977.
Fans can also pick up a few other unique stringed oddities, like his 1922 Gibson A-4 Lloyd Loar-era mandolin in red sunburst or a converted '5-string Gibson banjo from the '20s.
Leon Redbone’s collection is available now and is being offered by Romulus & Marx Estate Brokers. As seller Romulus Von Stezelberger told us, "these instruments were used throughout his career and were all hand pick by Leon. Most were purchased in the '70s at the start of his fame and others were picked up on his travels, but all were used in his recordings and television appearances."
Click here to see the full shop.
