David Bowie: Handwritten lyrics to 'The Jean Genie' expected to fetch upwards of £35,000 at auction

The starting bid was £30,000

David Bowie with dyed red hair and a yellow suit, circa 1974. (Getty Images)

Fans love a unique bit of memorabilia. Just last month, a lock of John Lennon’s hair sold at auction for £24,000, while a handwritten letter by The Beatles’ frontman is expected to take £30,000 later this month.

Now, a single sheet of paper bearing the lyrics to David Bowie’s “The Jean Genie” is to go up at auction, and it already has a staggeringly high initial bid of £30,000.

The handwritten sheet - signed and dated by the late musical icon - features 18 lines, with various words having been crossed out.

Handwritten lyrics to Bowie's 'The Jean Genie' (Paddle 8)

Auction house Paddle8 describes it as ‘a rare set of complete lyrics for “The Jean Genie”’, adding that they were initially a gift to ‘Neal Peters, who was then President of the Original David Bowie Fan Club in the USA.’

“With characteristic foresight, Bowie is believed to have kept almost all of his original lyrics, notes, and manuscripts, creating an archive that spanned his entire career,” the description follows. “As a result, major pieces of memorabilia rarely come on the market, and only a handful of key items have sold at auction over the years. This is the only set of complete handwritten lyrics to have come to auction.”

The lyric sheet is expected to fetch between £35,000 and £50,000.