New York

Jerry Garcia's ‘Wolf' Guitar to Be Auctioned for Charity

Proceeds will benefit the Southern Poverty Law Center

A guitar that Jerry Garcia played everywhere from San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom to Egypt's Great Pyramids is headed to auction.

The Grateful Dead frontman's guitar — named Wolf — will be offered Wednesday night in Brooklyn. The proceeds are earmarked for the Montgomery, Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center.

The guitar is being sold by devoted Deadhead Daniel Pritzker. The philanthropist, musician and film director bought it in 2002 at Guernsey's for $790,000.

"Now, Pritzker, wishing to support the important efforts of the Southern Poverty Law Center and its continuing fight against racism and hate groups, has returned Wolf to Guernsey’s for an unprecedented one lot auction of this most treasured instrument," the auction house said in a press release.

It's predicted that the guitar could fetch over $1 million this time around.

The auctioneer says Wolf first appeared in a 1973 New York performance the Grateful Dead gave for the Hells Angels.

The 1977 film "The Grateful Dead Movie" was directed by Garcia and features extensive footage of the instrument.

Garcia died in 1995.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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