(FOX NEWS) – A Stradivarius violin made at the "pinnacle" of
Antonio Stradivari’s career sold at auction for an eye-popping
price this week.

The musical instrument, crafted in 1714 by Stradivari, the luthier
most famously associated with the violin, sold for $11.3 million
at a Sotheby’s auction in New York Friday.

The violin, known as the "Joachim-Ma Stradivarius," was made
during Stradivari’s "golden period" when he was at the height
of his acoustic mastery of the instrument.  

Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737)

It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, of which
960 were violins.

Funds raised from the auction will benefit a Boston-based music conservatory’s student scholarship fund.

TIM MAGUIRE – ASSOCIATED PRESS

Troyal Garth Brooks is a country singer/songwriter. He’s
64 years old today.

LONDON (AP) — According to his promoter today,Ozzy Osbourne
will reunite with all of the original members of Black Sabbath for
the first time in 20 years, in a gig that will be his last and that’s
being billed as the “greatest” heavy metal show ever.

Osbourne is among the 2024 nominees for induction into the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The band, one of the most influential of all heavy metal bands,
will headline “The Back to the Beginning” show on July 5 at Villa
Park, home of the Aston Villa Football Club in Birmingham,
England.

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (76)

Rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P.
“The Big Bopper” Richardson, along with pilot Roger Peterson, 
were killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane
crashed in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City on
a flight headed for Moorhead, Minnesota.      

Investigators blamed the crash on bad weather and pilot error.

After mechanical difficulties with the tour bus, Holly had chartered
a plane for his band to fly between stops on the Winter Dance
Party Tour. However, Richardson, who had the flu, convinced
Holly’s band member Waylon Jennings to give up his seat, and
Ritchie Valens won a coin toss for another seat on the plane.

Singer Don McLean (above) memorialized Holly, Valens and
Richardson in the 1972 No. 1 hit “American Pie,” which
refers to February 3, 1959 as “the day the music died.”

Holly’s headstone in the City of Lubbock Cemetery.

The cultural icon Beyoncé, also took home the award for best country
duo/group performance for “II MOST WANTED” featuring
Miley Cyrus.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/