The story of Michael Jackson’s broken stone heart
A valuable keepsake from the King of Pop is about to go on sale. The auction for this item will run from January 23 to February 15, starting at a floor price of $1.2 million on eBay.
This keepsake is a 227-kilogram concrete slab. At the request of the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, it was engraved with the imprint of Michael’s left hand, the soles of his shoes, and his signature, dated June 1984. The plan was to display the slab on the walkway in front of the hotel, but the idea was never carried out. So, with no place to be displayed, the stone remained in the hotel’s basement for more than two decades, and for 25 years no one saw it.
The current owner of the stone is Andrew Willsion, who has been the world’s Kung Fu champion five times. He has an interesting story about buying this keepsake. He says that during the 2005 trial, he supported Michael a lot. He even published a letter supporting Michael in the Santa Maria newspaper, where he lives. Later, he heard from Neverland staff that Michael had read the letter and was pleased.
The day Michael died, Wilson went to Las Vegas and met with the same staff. He says the Neverland staff told him that Michael would be happy if he bought the stone. They then arranged for him to purchase the slab and take it out of the hotel’s basement. Now, a year and a half after Michael’s death, Wilson has decided to put this keepsake up for auction and hopes to make $3 million.
A concrete imprint of a star’s hands and shoe soles isn’t rare, but beyond Michael’s name and status, there’s something about this slab that makes it more special: a broken heart.
On the imprint of Michael’s palm there is a design similar to a cracked heart. That’s where the name of the stone comes from. The owner of this stone believes that this broken heart symbolizes not only Michael, but also his loving fans. Wilson says:
“It’s like it’s telling people around the world: ‘Yes! I left you with a broken heart, and I have fans whose hearts are broken because of me.’”
Source: eMJey.com / ksby.com / santamariasun.com