LOS ANGELES, CA.- Juliens Auctions, the world-record breaking auction house, held its two-day music extravaganza Icons & Idols: ROCK-N-ROLL on Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10 live in Hard Rock Café Times Square in front of a pumped up crowd of collectors and music fans bidding live on the floor, online and on the phone across the globe. The mega-star lineup featured over 800 historical items of music legends Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Bernie Taupin, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, The Beatles and more.
Michael Jacksons signed and worn Bad world tour jacket electrified the auction stage with a bidding frenzy from collectors and fans across the globe vying for the iconic item that sold for an astounding $298,000. The item is considered the one of the most recognized jackets worn by The King of Pop and was part of nearly 100 items collected by acclaimed philanthropist and businessman Milton Verret, who owns a world renowned collection of some of the most important pieces of rock-n-roll memorabilia, including Michael Jacksons Thriller jacket. Another Bad item, a pair of custom created black spandex, fingerless forearm gloves with covered thumbs, worn by Jackson while performing on his 1987 to 1988 Bad tour sold for an incredible $41,600 more than four times its original starting estimate of $10,000. A portion of the proceeds from Milton Verrets auction will benefit the Recording Academys MusiCares that works to help musicians and music-related people in need.
The one and only, Prince took center stage with some of his most iconic items including his final stage performance instrument, a white Collings 290 guitar (estimate: $60,000-$80,000) that sold for $156,250. The seven-time GRAMMY-winning pop music titan played the guitar on stage during a surprise performance at a tribute concert to Ray Charles at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater in Minneapolis on March 12, 2016 in what would be the music legend's last stage performance; he passed away on April 21, 2016, less than two months later. Princes stylized motorcycle jacket worn in his blockbuster film Purple Rain (Warner Bros., 1984) sold for $37,500 as well as a red Versace suit worn by Prince on the cover of Esquire magazine that sold for $18,750.
The Queen of Pop and the indisputable American fashion provocateur, Madonna, reigned the auction stage with the sale of one of her most iconic looks of all time the custom-made jacquard cropped tuxedo jacket worn by the Material Girl and her co-star Rosanna Arquette in the film Desperately Seeking Susan, along with the black hat case used by Madonnas character Susan as luggage that included miscellaneous film props, that sold together for $128,125.
Another auction spotlight included a collection of legendary songwriter Bernie Taupins original lyrics including the Elton John song Ive Seen That Movie Too from the 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road handwritten in blue ink that sold for an incredible $17,500; The King Must Die from the 1970 Elton John self-titled album that sold for $7,500; My Fathers Gun from the 1970 album Tumbleweed Connection handwritten in pink ink that sold for an astounding $16,250 over five times its original starting estimate of $3,000; two sheets of original lyrics for the Elton John song Roy Rogers which sold for $15,625; original handwritten lyrics for the Elton John song Talking Old Soldiers that sold for $7,500; a large sheet of printed and hand painted lyrics for the 1972 Elton John song "Tiny Dancer" that sold for $16,000; hand painted lyrics for the 1972 Elton John song "Rocket Man" that sold for $8,960; original lyrics to Candle in the Wind 1997 that sold for $10,000 and more.
The first auction of the late Queen of Souls stage worn dresses and accessories was one of the most highly anticipated moments of the auction event with the sale of Aretha Franklins most dazzling fashions including a pink silk tulle two-piece Bill Blass and Saks Fifth Avenue gown ensemble worn when she performed at the Duets concert, an AIDS benefit for the Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York in April 1993 that sold for $10,000; a red with sequined interior dress designed by Arnold Scassi with a matching sequin romper worn on stage Sept 13, 1991 at Radio City music Hall that sold for $7,500; a three-piece ensemble of a strapless white silk evening gown with a coordinating ivory satin evening coat with white fur trim on the collar worn at the Arista Records pre-party for the 40th Annual GRAMMY Awards in February 1998 and onstage later that night when she sang to Luciano Pavarotti that sold for $8,750; her Philip Treacy/London designed hat worn for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opening ceremony on September 7, 1995 that sold for $3,125 and more.
The proceeds of a star-studded collection of outfits worn and donated by celebrities went towards the Princes Trust which benefits the charitys mission of helping disadvantaged young people in the UK. Highlights included a custom-made black leather motorcycle jacket with "The Rolling Stones" on one sleeve, four tongue and lips logo on the other, and a tongue and lips logo on the back donated by Mick Jagger that sold for $35,200; a black long-sleeved floor length caftan with gold embroidered designs of skulls and crosses with bat wings, stage worn by Ozzy Osbourne that sold for $16,000 (estimate: $3,000 - $5,000); Britney Spears "I Wanna Go" music video ensemble (estimate: $2,000 - $4,000) that sold for $16,000 and more.
Other auction highlights included John Lennons green tinted flap metal-frame sunglasses worn in The Beatles' 1967 "Penny Lane" music video that sold for $40,625 (estimate: $10,000 - $20,000); Ringo Starrs Ludwig drum kit used in a 2000 Charles Schwab Super Bowl commercial that sold for $15,625; an embellished flesh tone chiffon Atelier Versace gown stage worn by Whitney Houston while performing in Paris on July 6, 1998 that sold for $25,600 more than eight times its original starting estimate of $3,000 and more. Other notable Michael Jackson items sold at this weekends event included a pair of black leather Florsheim loafers, each signed on the bottom in black marker "Love Michael Jackson worn on stage by Jackson in his 1993 Dangerous World Tour that sold for an incredible $21,875 (estimate: $4,000 - $6,000); a collection of never before seen original drawings by Jackson including a 1985 black marker illustration on paper with red and purple marker embellishments, titled Little Me (sold for $15,625) and Left Hand, Ungloved, a black marker illustration on paper signed and titled by Jackson (sold for $18,750) and more.