RIAA Gold LP white matte award for Helen Reddy album Long Hard Climb. Released on July 23, 1973, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA on Sept. 19, 1973 for one million dollars worth sold.* Remember Helen Reddy (1941-2020) with this award.
Featuring the Billboard #1 hits "Delta Dawn" and "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)", the album performed very well, rising to #8 on the Billboard Top LP's & Tapes chart. The album spent 43 weeks on the chart. It also did well in Australia and Canada, rising to, respectively, #16 and #14 in those markets.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold LP white matte award
- First presentation award from 1973
- Presented to former husband and artist manager of Helen Reddy
- In VG condition
- "White matte" awards (obviously so-named due to the white matte used) were made from from 1964-1974
- RIAA white matte awards numbered only 5-25 plaques worldwide for any given single/album
- Award measures approx. 17" x 21"
- Beautiful and rare collector's item for any Helen Reddy fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold LP award was made in 1973, making it about 50 years old. The award is presented to Jeff Wald, who was married to Helen Reddy from 1968-81 and who also managed her along with other artists including among them Miles Davis, Marvin Gay, Sylvester Stallone, Chicago, Donna Summer, and Crosby Stills and Nash.
This award is in Very Good condition, especially considering its age. There are some mars on the wood frame, as is expected, along with very minor disc tarnishing and label and album miniature fading. Its backing paper has its' original New York Frame & Picture Co. manufacturer sticker but has been cut on three sides and taped.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage RIAA awards like this one: Please do not buy this item if you want a brand new piece of memorabilia. These are historical artifacts from the year they were produced. As a result they may show signs of wear. Frankly, if you see a 50-year-old award purported to be in 100% perfect condition, it might be too good to be true. After all, an antique should have "good' wear. If not, you might want to question the piece.
As to where they came from, they could have been displayed in record label offices, recording studios, artist manager's offices, radio stations, private collector's homes and yes, of course, possibly the artist's or songwriter's home. Typically, we don't know all the places they may have been over the years other than what we've stated in the description.
Finally, a word on photos: Our photos are zoomable so you can get a very good look. Do let us know if you want photos of any other details on our pieces and we'll be happy to provide.
*RIAA sales data source: RIAA.com