A super rare Blues 78 rpm record by Tommy Johnson has been sold for a record price of $37,100 on eBay. This isn’t only the highest price ever paid for a single 78 rpm Blues record but also the highest prices ever paid for ANY record. The winning bidder is John Tefteller, one of the world’s most fanatic record collectors. In an article on Broadway World, he has revealed his intentions for this record: “The original masters for these recordings were all destroyed by World War Two. The only way we can hear them now is rescue the few remaining commercial copies which are in private homes… I can’t wait to have it properly re-mastered and share it with the world.”
An original Paramount Records blues release from 1930, is one of only two known and verified copies. All other copies of this disc are presumed lost or destroyed. The two songs on this record “Alcohol And Jake Blues” and “Ridin’ Horse” are considered masterpieces of the genre. Tefteller already owns the only other known copy and has released the songs previously on one of his Classic Blues Artwork From The 1920′s Calendar series. He described his new ownership as a “holy grail” for collectors.