As reported by Rolling Stone (via MetalSucks), as of this past Tuesday, a Rock And Roll Hall of Fame curator and a couple of his associates have been charged for allegedly possessing stolen Eagles lyrics. These lyrics happen to involve handwritten notes that singer Don Henley wrote. Per Rolling Stone, these notes allegedly have a value of over $1 million.
The curator and his associates are accused of attempting to sell these notes and lyrics; there are over 100 pages involving these documents, with lyrics and notes pertaining to the Eagles songs “Hotel California” and “Life in the Fast Lane.” These individual’s names are: Craig Inciardi (the curator), Glenn Horowitz, and Edward Kosinski. The attorneys for the curator and his two associates say they will “fight these unjustified charges vigorously.”
Apparently, throughout the past, Henley has been trying to get these notes and lyrics back (but said lyrics and handwritten notes have been passing between folks for sometime now). Eagles manager Irving Azoff provided the following statement:
“This action exposes the truth about music memorabilia sales of highly personal, stolen items hidden behind a facade of legitimacy. No one has the right to sell illegally obtained property or profit from the outright theft of irreplaceable pieces of musical history. These handwritten lyrics are an integral part of the legacy Don Henley has created over the course of his 50-plus-year career.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg added the following:
“New York is a world-class hub for art and culture, and those who deal cultural artifacts must scrupulously follow the law. These defendants attempted to keep and sell these unique and valuable manuscripts, despite knowing they had no right to do so. They made up stories about the origin of the documents and their right to possess them so they could turn a profit.”
Dang, who knew that handwritten notes and lyrics could be worth so much money?