Meet Joe Demelio: Inside the Collection

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Joe is the king of all things Queen! Take a look at this rock 'n' roll collection dedicated to the band.

Sep. 25, 2023

Joe Demelio's love for Queen started in the 1970s after he saw them live for the first time at Madison Square Garden. Queen was Joe's first concert and ever since he has spent his adulthood collecting memorabilia dedicated to his favorite band. 

Joe is now the king of all things Queen! He has thousands of items which include rare blue vinyls, a Brian May replica guitar and even awards that Queen has won over the decades.

He has so many Queen items, he says he's lost count! We're here to help narrow down the numbers with five rockin' pieces from Joe's collection. Get ready to rock and let's roll out the red carpet for his impressive Queen collection. Take a look!

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1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" blue vinyl and other memorabilia

In 1978, EMI Records held a party to celebrate "Bohemian Rhapsody" as a top single in the U.S. To celebrate, they pressed the song onto a beautiful blue vinyl. 

According to Joe, there are only 200 of these and the band members own at least three of them. The rest of these items (the glasses and napkin) were given out to those who were are the party as gifts.

Our expert had only seen one other blue vinyl before, making it a rare item to own. With the release of the 2018 film, Bohemian Rhapsody, the value of all Queen items has reached new heights.

Today this set would be worth around $20,000. A collection truly worthy of a crown. 

2. Signed RIAA Award for "Innuendo"

This is a RIAA Record Award for Queen going gold in the U.S. Certain radio stations and record labels would get these from the industry to celebrate major moments in music history. 

The RIAA certified that "Innuendo," had sold over 500,000 copies in the United States under Hollywood Records. There are only 32 signed awards and Joe has number 25.

"Innuendo" was Freddie Mercury's last album with Queen. According to Joe, it's rare to find anything from the "Innuendo" album that has been signed by Freddie Mercury because he started to get sick by the time the album was released in 1991.

This is the only one our expert had ever seen. Today it would be worth around $5,000. What's your favorite Queen album? Sound off in the comments below!

3. Brian May replica guitar

This is a Brian May replica guitar that was built in 1985. Brian May is the guitarist of Queen, and many consider him to be a music legend. 

According to Joe, there are only 300 of these replica guitars that have been made. This is a special piece for Joe because it tells a story. 

This guitar is a replica of Brian May's guitar that he built with his father as a child. The guitar's body is made from the mantel of a fireplace and includes motorcycle parts, a thimble and pieces from a sewing kit. 

It was built to be as close to Brian May's original guitar as possible. His guitar playing helped shape Queen's iconic sound, which is still popular today.

Today this piece would be worth around $15,000. Brian plays guitar, Joe plays the drums and Lisa is a queen  looks like we have a band!

4. American Music Award for "Another One Bites the Dust"

This is the American Music Award that was given to Queen for winning Best Pop Single for "Another One Bites the Dust." It was the only award given to the band during the event, and they gave it to their fan club.

Joe had this one of a kind item certified by the fan club, which adds to the item's overall value.

This piece of music history is worth around $5,000 today, but we have a feeling this award won't be biting the dust anytime soon.

5. Madison Square Garden Award and bus poster

This is an award congratulating Queen for selling out the 1979 tour at Madison Square Garden. This is the show that started it all for Joe. 

At the time it was common for bands to be given awards for selling out certain shows and venues on a tour. 

Joe even has his first concert ticket from this show. It's his golden ticket that started his passion for Queen collecting. In a way, it's probably the most value item in Joe's collection.

These two pieces of Queen memorabilia would be worth around $7,000 today.

6. "The Works" blue vinyl from Columbia

This is a signed blue vinyl record that came all the way from Columbia! This is the only one our collector has ever seen. 

According to Joe, South American vinyls are rare to see today. 

This record would be worth around $20,000 today. That's one expensive vinyl!

7. The total value of Joe Demelio's Queen collection:

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3 Comments

Moverfan 12 months ago
Does anybody know why the album and the single were pressed in blue vinyl? Just curious--I have a 45 of ELO's Telephone Line and it's green!
Runeshaper 12 months ago
Queen = AWESOME! Great collection!
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