Musician Stopped From Selling Soul on eBay

Many famous performers have sacrificed their credibility or dignity to get ahead (see: 'American Idol') but Dante Knoxx took it one step further by trying to sell his soul on eBay. The 24-year-old British musician posted an ad for his "used" soul, with a starting bid of £25,000.50 (just over $38,000) or the "Buy It Now" price of £700,000 (over $1 million).

With two hours left, eBay pulled the listing, which had no bids, but 200 users following the action. "You cannot sell anything that is not physical," said Knoxx, of Bournemouth, U.K. "That includes ghosts, souls and spirits."

Knoxx would have used the money to kickstart the career of his "minimalist electronica" outfit, Paradigm. The winner would legally be entitled to a percentage of Knoxx's income for the rest of his life, with a minimum of £1000 a year, and ten percent of Paradigm's intellectual rights. Proving not all deals are final, a stipulation said Knoxx could buy back his soul for £100 million, should his band improbably make that much.

Although he was refunded for the posting, Knoxx was still disappointed. "I had lots of emails asking if I was serious, and religious groups telling me I couldn't do that. Others wanted to talk about my soul," he says. "I had a lot of interest, but no actual bidders, which is a real shame."

While the story certainly isn't Robert Johnson at the crossroads with the devil, it certainly is a great way to get publicity.