Skip to content

Ed Sheeran early 'rare' Spinning Man demo goes up for auction

BBC Ed SheeranBBC
Chart-topper Ed Sheeran grew up in Framlingham in Suffolk, with his parents Imogen and John supporting his musical career

A rare demo recorded by Ed Sheeran when he was 13 and sold by his mother is being auctioned.

The seller bought the Spinning Man demo from the singer's mother in their home town of Framlingham, Suffolk, in 2005.

It is being sold with a copy of 2005's The Orange Room, Sheeran's second CD, and together they may fetch £20,000.

Auctioneer Paul Fairweather said it showed Sheeran's parents' "dedication" - and comes just weeks after another copy sold for £50,000.

The seller, who wished to remain anonymous, was said to have bought the recordings as she had been keen to support local musicians.

Omega Auctions Rare CD by Ed SheeranOmega Auctions
Ed Sheeran has said he did not want anyone to "get hold of a copy" and owns 19 of them himself

Another copy of Spinning Man recently fetched £50,000 when it went under the hammer.

At the time it was said that only 21 CD copies of the recording were known to exist, with the majority thought to belong to Sheeran.

Sheeran, 29, has previously said he did not want anyone to "get hold of a copy" and owns 19 of them himself.

Ahead of the online sale on 24 November, Mr Fairweather, of Omega Auctions, said: "The result in September garnered worldwide press attention - so it's not totally unexpected to see another CD come out of the woodwork.

"However, we're very happy to present this rare CD alongside one that has certainly never been sold before."

"Ed's parents played a large part in his career and it's fascinating to see that that dedication extended to selling individual copies of their teenage son's CD."

Ed Sheeran: Made In Suffolk Legacy Auction A ticket to Ed Sheeran's first gig.Ed Sheeran: Made In Suffolk Legacy Auction
A ticket to his first gig in his hometown of Framlingham, with a £3 entry price, sold for £6,400 at a recent auction for Suffolk charities and groups

Earlier this month, an auction of Ed Sheeran memorabilia raised more than £400,000 to support children and young people with disabilities and life-limiting illnesses.

More than 220 items were sold as part of the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk Legacy Auction.

The auction marked the last day of the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk exhibition at Ipswich's Christchurch Mansion, which charted his rise to international fame.

presentational grey line

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]