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There are few tropes better than love triangles — especially when they involve three rock icons. From March 8-21, auction house Christie’s will host an online auction of items from the personal collection of British photographer and model Pattie Boyd, who served as a muse for both George Harrison and Eric Clapton.
Deemed as “one of the greatest muses in rock history” by Christie’s via a press release on Monday (Feb. 26), Boyd inspired a plethora of songs between the two musicians. Boyd was married to Harrison during the peak of Beatlemania, the band’s foray into psychedelia and post-breakup (1966-1977). Harrison’s Boyd-inspired Beatles tracks include “I Need You” (1965) and Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers “Something” (1969) and “For You Blue” (1970).
Clapton, a close friend of Harrison’s, pursued Boyd for years via a series of love letters, some of which are available at the auction. “I am writing this note to you, with the main purpose of ascertaining your feelings toward a subject well known to both of us,” he opens one letter. “What I wish to ask you is if you still love your husband, or if you have another lover? All these questions are very impertinent I know, but if there is still a feeling in your heart for me… you must let me know!”
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By 1974, upon discovering his multitude of extramarital affairs, Boyd left Harrison. Five years later, she and Clapton married, eventually splitting in 1987 due to substance abuse issues and infidelity. In Clapton’s catalog, Boyd can lay claim to inspiring “Layla,” the 1971 No. 12 Hot 100 hit, which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame just 27 years after its release (1998).
For her part, Boyd believes auctioning off these items (which include photos of herself, Harrison and Clapton, as well as postcards, telegrams and letters) is a part of her healing journey.
“I thought, ‘Do I need them? Do I need to keep going into Pandora’s Box?’ I’ve enjoyed them for many, many years, and now it’s time for other people to see and enjoy them. It’s only right I should pass them on,” she mused to Christie’s, where items will be on display at Christie’s in London from March 15-22.
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Source: Sotheby’s / Sotheby’s
Retro Jordan sneakers may be struggling to move out on the secondary market these days, but actual game-worn Jordan sneakers are still fetching some pretty big bucks on the auction block.
Nice Kicks is reporting that a collection of game-worn Air Jordan sneakers that his Airness wore during his historic championship run the the 1990s fetched quite a pretty penny. The “Dynasty Collection,” which featured six different pairs of Air Jordan sneakers (VI, VII, VIII, XI, XII and XIV) that Michael Jordan wore when he clinched his six NBA Championships sold for a staggering $8 million in a global auction that was held by Sotheby’s. Keep in mind, these were single sneakers; they weren’t even paired up, but they were game-worn and autographed by the greatest of all time.
Nice Kicks reports:
This remarkable accomplishment positions the Dynasty Collection as the second most valuable Michael Jordan memorabilia ever auctioned, trailing only behind Jordan’s iconic 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 jersey from the renowned ‘Last Dance’ season. The jersey fetched an astonishing $10.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in September 2022, still holding the world record for any game-worn sports memorabilia. Additionally, Sotheby’s retains the record for the highest-selling pair of sneakers, with Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Air Jordan 13s from ‘The Last Dance’ season, which netted $2.2 million in April 2023.
“Today’s record-breaking price is a testament to the GOAT. The Dynasty Collection undeniably ranks among the most significant compilations of sports memorabilia in history. Serving as both a reminder of Michael Jordan’s lasting impact on the world and a tangible expression of his recognized legendary status, its significance is further validated by this monumental result.”
Naturally, the buyer’s identity is being withheld as Sotheby’s doesn’t want to put a target on anyone at this point. But whoever dumped $8 million to own a piece of sports history must have pockets as deep as Jay-Z because dayumn!
Check out pics of the “Dynasty Collection” below, and let us know if you’d drop $8 million on these if you had it like that in the comments section.
The annual MusiCares Charity Relief Auction will take place live for the first time ever from the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles (and online) on Feb. 4. The event that will unfold on the same day as this year’s Grammy Awards will feature a stellar selection of one-of-a-kind items from many of this year’s nominees, as well as some other past Grammy-winning stars.
Among the more than 75 unique collectibles on the list are late Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVie’s Yamaha C3 “Songbird” baby grand piano (estimate: $20,000-30,000), which she played on stage for two decades during the band’s concert encores. Bidding will also take place on a Baby Taylor Swift model acoustic guitar (estimate: $5,000-$7,000), a signed hardcover edition of Paul McCartney’s two-volume The Lyrics: 1965 to Present (estimate: $1,000-$2,000) and Metallica singer/guitarist James Hetfield’s signed black ESP LTD Vulture electric flying V guitar (estimate: $4,000-$6,000).
Other items on the auction list include:
— Harry Styles’ 1999 Gretsch White Falcon hollow-body electric guitar, signed and dated 2023 with a heart and swirl drawing
— Cure singer Robert Smith’s black RS-1000 Stage Artist Edition signature Schecter acoustic guitar — played on stage at the band’s May 2023 Hollywood Bowl show
— A pair of Dr. Dre’s all-white Nike Air Force 1 Low ’07 signed sneakers
— Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh’s signed 2015 Fender Hot Noiseless Stratocaster guitar from his personal collection
— Bad Bunny signed 2011 Schecter Diamond Series model T S/H-1 semi-hollow body guitar
— Lionel Richie’s gold sequined performance bomber jacket featured “All Night Long” in white Swarovski crystals across the back
— Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash’s signed 2023 Gibson Les Paul Anaconda Burst guitar with green flame maple top with Slash’s “Scully” doodle
— Coldplay singer Chris Martin’s colorful handwritten setlist from the band’s show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in Oct. 2023
The auction will also feature signed “Cleopatra” lyrics from the Lumineers, Eagles guitarist/singer Don Felder’s 2010 Gibson guitar, DJ Khaled’s signed Les Paul studio guitar, Willie Nelson and Friends signed 2023 Martin D-10 acoustic guitar (featuring the signatures of Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Bob Weir, Snoop Dogg, Beck, Tom Jones and more), Jon Batiste’s signed Hohner Instructor 32 melodica and James Brown’s custom-tailored navy jacket with blue and black floral brocade lining and an embroidered label featuring the late soul singer’s name, plus more items to be revealed in the coming weeks.
There are four ways to bid for the items, including online and live in real time here, over the phone, in person at the auction site and an advance absentee bid available here. In addition to the Julien’s and MusiCares sites, the livestream will fun on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram Live.
All auction proceeds will benefit the MusiCares program, which provides the music community with services in physical and mental health, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief.
The 2024 Grammy Awards are set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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A few years ago, Spike Lee donned an ultra-exclusive pair of gold Air Jordan 3s custom made by the Jumpman brand for his big night at the 2019 Oscar Awards, and apparently someone chucked them to a donation bin.
Artnet is reporting that one of the holiest of sneaker grails found their way into a donation bin at an Oregon homeless charity earlier this year, via an anonymous donor, and will now be put on the auction block for a King Kong sized grip. Who could’ve done this? How did these end up getting donated? Are they fake? While the first two questions remain to be answered, the third already has been.
Per Artnet:
In a blog post, the Portland Rescue Mission explained how a volunteer found the shoes while sorting through donations which drop down through a chute. “Obviously they must be fakes, we thought, because why would the real thing end up in our donation bins?” said Erin Holcomb, the director of the program.
Holcomb explained that they took the shoes to a “high end sneaker resale shop” to get its opinion on their authenticity, and that the owner “offered to buy them from me on the spot for $10,000 or to consign them in his store for a potentially larger return.” Holcomb did further research and found that another pair had been auctioned by Sotheby’s in 2021 and sold for $47,880.
Y’all know when an authenticator offers you that kind of money, they’re 100% official tissue. Knowing that they could fetch much more for the Portland Rescue Mission, Holcomb organized with Sotheby’s auction house to have the sneakers included in their Dec. 18 auctions, which featured “some of the most sought-after collectibles and sneakers in existence.”
Not only did the sneakers sell for a whopping $50,800 (after expecting to fetch between $15,000 – $20,000), but Sotheby’s was kind enough to wave their fee so that 100% of the money could go to the Portland Rescue Mission.
You gotta love it.
While we may never know who dropped off these grails in the donation bid, in the end, it turned out to be quite the Christmas gift for an important organization.
More from Artnet:
No one knows who donated the shoes. Tinker [Hatfield] has said that he is “thrilled the shoes ended up here. It’s a happy ending to a really great project.”
Going once.
Going twice.
Julien’s Auctions is SOLD on Nashville.
Nothing has been finalized, but the California-based auction house is planning to open a Music City office in 2024, after generating closing bids estimated at nearly $9.5 million for music memorabilia during a week at the Hard Rock Café in November.
The week included Music Health Alliance’s (MHA) fourth annual Lyrics for a Cause benefit auction, with Julien’s playing middleman on Nov. 14 for the sale of 57 autographed guitars and documents featuring song lyrics. To cite three examples: A guitar featuring Keith Urban’s signature alongside the words from “Blue Ain’t Your Color” netted $7,800; a “Girl Crush” guitar autographed by The Love Junkies — songwriters Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose and Lori McKenna — brought another $1,950; and a “wait in the truck” guitar inked by HARDY and Lainey Wilson earned $4,445.
Julien’s followed Nov. 15-17 with its Played, Worn, & Torn Rock ‘N’ Roll: Iconic Guitars and Memorabilia Auction. Among more than 1,000 sales, an Eric Clapton guitar went for $1.3 million, a pair of Kurt Cobain’s jeans scored $476,000, and a signed Elvis Presley karate certificate pulled in $5,850. That auction also included a smattering of country items: a stage-worn Dolly Parton cape, $10,160; a Hee Haw contract signed by Johnny Cash and June Carter, $2,222.50; and Jerry Lee Lewis’ cowboy boots, $1,625.
Julien’s founder/president Darren Julien and founder/executive director Martin Nolan anticipated Nashville would have a significant regional draw for in-person bidding, on top of its online activity, and it played out even better than expected.
“People came from Missouri, Georgia, Alabama and Illinois just to see [the auction],” Nolan observes. “There’s definitely a huge interest here.”
Julien’s is already planning another Nashville-based auction in May, but it’s also scouting locations for an office, believing the market is underserved for celebrity sales. The company plans initially to staff with just one or two people who would utilize strong local connections to bring sale items to the public. The employees wouldn’t be expected to know how to price prospective memorabilia at the start; Julien’s has 30-plus employees in Gardena, Calif., and some of them can offer that expertise as the new Nashville team gets its bearings and Julien’s, if its plan works, ingratiates itself in the market.
A “Girl Crush” guitar autographed by The Love Junkies — songwriters Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose and Lori McKenna — recently brought in $1,950.
“It’s a contemporary recording community across all different genres of music,” says Nolan. “Obviously, it has a very rich musical heritage, and that sort of fits squarely into our growth plans.”
Julien’s is celebrating its 20th anniversary, having entered the auction market shortly after the largest celebrity memorabilia houses, Christie’s and Sotheby’s, paid over $550 million apiece to settle a price-fixing case. Julien’s aggressively pursued the potential of online bidding, allowing buyers from around the globe to compete with in-person customers. The technology was comparatively primitive at the time — a seven-second delay in digital bids affected the proceedings, and Nolan remembers his Blackberry ran out of juice in the inaugural sale during that pre-smartphone era.
The company also put a premium, Nolan maintains, on more personalized service with high-profile clients who come with their own set of expectations.
“Cher wants her design one way, Barbra Streisand wants it another way, and Don McLean has another idea and Janet Jackson has another idea, and Ringo Starr,” says Nolan. “The big auction houses don’t have the resources to sit down with a celebrity and hold hands and walk them through the process and make it seamless for them.”
The stars deserve that kind of treatment, Nolan suggests.
“They’ve been hugely successful marketing geniuses in their own right,” he says. “There’s a fan base worldwide that wants to own something representing their life and career.”
Julien’s has made believers of MHA through its work on the agency’s Heal the Music fundraising auctions.
“In the last four years, Julien’s Auctions has not only elevated Music Health Alliance’s Lyrics for a Cause benefit auction to unprecedented heights through their global audience, they also seamlessly fused historical accuracy, integrity, and respect into the fabric of our mission to #HealTheMusic,” says MHA auction producer Colleen Hoagland. “Julien’s commitment to the minute details coupled with a passion for our cause has turned fundraising into an art form.”
Establishing a stronger foothold in Nashville’s music community — particularly in country — would expand on Julien’s existing cultural connections. The company regularly holds auctions focused on pop music, TV and movies, sports and art.
Upcoming auctions include 1,000-plus lots of memorabilia from the collection of ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill Dec. 7-9 in Dallas; a Robots, Wizards, Heroes & Aliens event Dec. 14-15 in Hollywood featuring items associated with such franchises as Breaking Bad, Harry Potter and Batman; and a Dec. 16-17 sale of materials from The Big Lebowski.
Julien’s does get its fair share of pushback. When the company approached Parton about selling off some of her personal artifacts, she initially rebuffed the offer, reportedly telling them, “I’m not dead yet.” But there are other reasons for celebs to part with their history, Nolan insists, such as raising money for charity, downsizing and connecting with members of the fan base.
Beyond the headline-making million-dollar guitars, auctions often include smaller-priced items that are obtainable for fans of more modest means. As an example, photos, signed letters and several awards all went for less than $500 at a 2022 Kenny Rogers auction.
In its way, Nashville’s best-known export — country music — is a perfect fit for Julien’s.
“We’re all nostalgic,” says Nolan. “We’re all buying into something [from] our youth or a life stage when we got married, or first kid, or we were graduating college — whatever it is, it harks back to that time. We want to own the toys from that era. And that’s what we’re selling.”
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Source: CHRISTIE’S / Christie’s
While Jay-Z hasn’t announced a new project his fans think one is on the way. They think a new auction item from The Book Of Hov exhibit is possibly alluding to a new album is coming soon.
Source: CHRISTIE’S / Christie’s
As spotted on TMZ, the popular exhibit chronicling the Rap legend’s career might be hinting at new music. People Magazine is reporting that Roc Nation has partnered with Christie’s as a way to raise funds for The Brooklyn Library. Going under the hammer will be a one of one case signed by JAY-Z. Inside are 14 library cards, 13 of which represent each of his albums and an accompanying bookmark. Next to the card that represents 4:44 (his last album released in 2017) is a blue card with no artwork.
While the British auction house describes this insert as a “14th blue library card commemorating The Book of HOV exhibition” the Hip-Hop community thinks this is a sly nod to a possible forthcoming project from JAY-Z. But when the Gayle King asked the “Dead Presidents” MC about it he made it clear it has to be purposeful. “I don’t want to just make a bunch of tunes” he explained. “That’s not going to serve me. It won’t feed me, first of all. I have to be saying something important. It has to mean something, you know? It has to mean something to a larger society.”
The auction is currently being hosted at Christies.com until Tuesday, December 5. You can bid here. is
The third annual Holiday Auction for the ASCAP Foundation is now open and this year’s items up for bid include a boatload of one-of-a-kind keepsakes from a variety of pop, rock, hip-hop and country stars. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Topping the list of collectibles whose sales […]
Raven Drum Foundation is back for its third year raising funds for veterans, first responders and other trauma survivors, and has enlisted the help of some A-list musicians. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In addition to RDF co-founder, Def Leppard’s Rick Allen, among the stars who have […]
Questlove is a six-time Grammy winning producer and author, and as expected, he has great taste in music. That’s why he’s teaming up with livestream shopping platform Whatnot to auction off some of his personal records for a great cause.
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All proceeds from the auction will go to the Future of Food Entrepreneurship Program, a summer program that connects high school students with leading companies in the sustainable food space, and the Food Education Fund, a nonprofit supporting culinary-focused public high school students in New York City.
Some of Questlove’s 50-year-old jazz albums up for auction are The Awakening’s Hear Sense Feel (1972), The Soul Searchers’ Salt of the Earth (1974), The 24 Carat Black’s Ghetto Misfortune’s Wealth (1973), James Brown’s Hot Pants (1971) and more.
In addition, as part of the livestream, one lucky fan will be selected to accompany Questlove to NYC’s A-1 Record Shop in celebration of National Record Store Day. The trip will be livestreamed on Whatnot on April 21 at 11 a.m. ET for fans follow along, purchase records and learn more about Questlove’s passion for record collecting.
“Questlove is an undisputed talent as a legendary musician and producer, and is widely recognized for his encyclopedic knowledge and contributions to American music,” said John Walters, head of special projects at Whatnot, in a press statement. “His dedication to music and its history makes him a perfect addition to the community of passionate collectors on Whatnot, we’re excited to see what he’ll be sharing with our growing vinyl community.”
Questlove added, “As a collector myself, I am excited to auction off some of my favorite records from my collection to the Whatnot audience, all for a good cause.”
The Roots co-founder’s record auction livestream will broadcast on Whatnot starting Friday (April 7) at 3:15 p.m. ET, hosted by Questlove himself.
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The world will have the chance to own a piece of fashion history. Some of André Leon Talley’s prized items are going to auction.
As per High Snobiety, the late great’s fashion collection is going under the hammer. This February, Christie’s is proud to present the collection of the legendary fashion editor André Leon Talley. As the first Black man to hold the title Creative Director of American Vogue, Mr. Talley held a rarefied status in the fashion industry.
His discerning taste extended well beyond fashion and his personal collection encompasses haute couture, handbags, jewelry, fine art, literature and decorative arts. As a whole, the collection is both glamourous and intimate, reflecting his decades-long relationships with icons including Karl Lagerfeld, Diane von Furstenberg , Ralph Rucci, Tom Ford, Diana Vreeland and Anna Wintour.
The Collection of André Leon Talley features a selection of custom couture, personalized handbags and artwork. The sale features a Set of Two: a Personalized Brown Monogram Canvas Hardsided Train Case & a Brown Monogram Canvas Hardside Train Case which were featured in the Sex and the City movie, A Gold Brocade Caftan by Dapper Dan and Mr. Talley’s iconic Straw Boater Hats. The Collection of André Leon Talley is also highlighted by Andy Warhol’s Candy Box (True Love) painting; a personal gift from the artist to Mr. Talley.
Proceeds from the live and online auctions will benefit the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York and Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina; both of which were close to Mr. Talley’s heart. The Collection of André Leon Talley will be auctioned Wednesday, Feb. 15. You can sign up to bid here.
