George Michael’s $240,000 “Faith” Guitar Sells at Auction, but His Late Assistant’s Family Calls the Sale “Wholly Unethical”

The iconic guitar featured in George Michael’s classic “Faith” music video has officially sold for more than $240,000 at auction. Yet the blockbuster sale has triggered intense outrage from the family of his late personal assistant, who call the high-profile liquidation deeply dishonorable.

The instrument headlined a controversial catalog of over 30 personal items sold by Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers under the banner “Faith & Fame: A Personal George Michael Collection.” Every single lot found a buyer, but the event exposed a painful rift over who rightfully should have controlled the pop star’s private legacy.

George Michael performs on stage.

A Bitter Dispute Over an Assistant’s Legacy

For more than 20 years, Siobhan Bailey served as Michael’s trusted confidante and personal assistant. When Bailey died unexpectedly of natural causes at age 56 in 2014, her entire archive passed directly to her husband, whom she was actively divorcing at the time.

Years later, that estranged spouse partnered with the auction house to bring the private collection to market under Bailey’s name. Her surviving relatives immediately pushed back, arguing that the public sale betrayed everything Bailey stood for.

“[Siobhan] would be horrified at the prospect of the auction being held in her name and that her personal, cherished possessions are being sold off to the highest bidder,” her brother, Gerard Bailey, stated. “I think she’d be devastated that something as personal as her Filofax and notes from George are up for grabs. It’s just so tawdry and contrary to how she was.”

Gerard Bailey revealed that his sister did not have an executed will at the time of her sudden passing, though she had been preparing one. Her express intention was to leave her personal collection and music industry mementos to her nieces and nephews rather than her estranged partner.

What Went Under the Hammer?

The collection offered fans an unfiltered look behind the scenes of Michael’s meteoric pop career. Beyond the headline-grabbing instrument, the George Michael auction featured deeply personal keepsakes preserved across decades of work:

• The “Faith” Video Guitar: The centerpiece instrument that fetched over $240,000.
• Intimate Photography: Candid, behind-the-scenes snapshots taken directly by Bailey.
• Tour Documentation: Bailey’s personal Filofax containing working tour itineraries and handwritten notes from Michael.
• Wham! History: An original invitation to bandmate Andrew Ridgeley’s 21st birthday celebration.
• Industry Accolades: Personalized gold and platinum record awards presented to Bailey during her career.

Preservation vs. Family Wishes

Addressing the controversy, Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers explained that the items had languished in a garage for years following Bailey’s passing. Guy Schooling, the auction house’s head of Art & Antiques, noted that Bailey’s husband was deeply affected by her death and stashed the items away in storage.

Auction representatives intervened after warning that the rare artifacts faced irreversible environmental damage if they remained in a residential garage. Because George Michael’s family acknowledged the guitar’s authenticity, the sale proceeded without legal contest over ownership.

The Estate Trap: Intention vs. Legal Reality

A widespread assumption surrounds inheritance disputes: people often believe that clear verbal intentions carry legal weight if an individual dies during a divorce. In reality, until a divorce decree is finalized or a binding will is executed, surviving spouses retain standard statutory inheritance rights.

Because Bailey died before signing her will, her estranged husband became the sole legal owner of the singer’s memorabilia. Gerard Bailey requested that the auction remove his sister’s name from the marketing campaign if the sale could not be stopped, but that request went unheeded.

The tension highlights the delicate balance between pop culture preservation and the personal dignity of the behind-the-scenes workers who helped build musical history.

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