By Michael Marot, Associated Press | Jim Irsay started his football career as a ball boy. He finished it as a team owner. Along the way, the NFL’s music man created his own, unique brand. Irsay worked his way up through the organization, learning how to run a football team, restoring the Colts’ once-proud tradition to glory and created what some have dubbed the greatest guitar collection on Earth — all while battling health issues and addictions to alcohol and painkillers.
On Wednesday, Irsay’s remarkable journey ended at age 65. Pete Ward, Irsay’s longtime right-hand man, made the announcement in a statement, saying Irsay died peacefully in his sleep.
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His ever-expanding musical collection included instruments and items from The Beatles, James Brown, Prince, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Johnny Cash and Jerry Garcia; signed Presidential documents; an original “wanted” poster for John Wilkes Booth; a 1953 Jackie Robinson bat; Muhammad Ali’s title belt from the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle;” even the saddle from Secretariat’s triple crown wins.
Irsay also befriended singers such as Stephen Stills and John Mellencamp, took inspiration from the lyrics of Bob Dylan and revered the writings of Hunter S. Thompson, the self-described “Gonzo journalist.”
“It’s a lot of fun to have these pieces, and guitars are always kind of the most interesting, in some ways, because you can play them, unlike a book, a manuscript or a painting,” Irsay said during the summer of 2016. “You can play them, and they can become four-dimensional.”
But Irsay also had his struggles.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/indianapolis-colts-music-loving-owner-jim-irsay-dies-at-age-65/