LOS ANGELES, CA.- Julien’s Auctions has announced the complete lineup of Music Icons to take place on Saturday, May 18 live in Hard Rock Café New York and online at juliensauctions.com. Standing atop the auction stage will be some of the most celebrated and important music memorabilia and ephemera touched by the world’s greatest music artists and pop culture icons of all time. Madonna, Prince, Queen, Elton John, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Lady Gaga, Black Sabbath and more will headline along with the previously announced auctions of Greg Lake, frontman of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and The Hannah Montana Collection. An exceptional collection of psychedelic concert posters from the personal collection of Alain Ronay, a close friend of The Doors’ legendary lead singer Jim Morrison, was also announced as a highlight of the world-record breaking auction house’s annual music extravaganza.

The one and only Prince takes center stage with several of his most iconic items heading to auction for the first time, including his stage-used and numerously photographed black Taylor 612-CE acoustic guitar (estimate: $60,000-$80,000). The guitar with a purple and gold embroidered guitar strap was used by the seven-time GRAMMY-winning pop music titan during his 2004 Musicology Tour as well as for various photo shoots and performances, most notably in his famous intimate sessions with the audience, where he played on the guitar and joked with them. The Purple One also played this guitar while performing with Wendy Melvoin on The Tavis Smiley Show on February 19, 2004. Photographs of Prince playing this guitar appear in his Musicology Tour program, Afshin Shahidi’s book Prince: A Private View (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2017) and on the July 2004 cover of Guitar Player magazine. Other Prince highlights include a purple stage-used drumhead signed in black marker “Love God Prince” in the center with his signature and autographs from The Revolution band: “Doctor Fink” (Matt Fink), Brown Mark, Bobby Z, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (estimate: $2,000-$3,000); several of his ornate stage and tour-used tambourines with his iconic Love symbol and in various colors and decorations from purple, black and paisley (estimates range: $600-$2,000); a custom-made left-foot-only black pinstripe bootie with peace symbol zipper that, according to the shoemaker, was Prince’s favorite heel height and used as a sample for further shoe orders (estimate: $600-$800); as well as a dangling gold chain hat from Prince’s Glam Slam nightclub, his tour used maraca, a signed check, ear cuffs and more.

The Queen of Pop, Madonna, will make a royal entrance on the Music Icons stage with some of her most signature looks and trend setting fashions from her groundbreaking career. Her iconic black bowler hat with a chin strap signed in gold “Madonna” worn by the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century in the U.S. when performing “Keep It Together” during her 1990 Blond Ambition Tour is one of the many show-stopping highlights (estimate: $4,000-$6,000). The Material Girl collaborated with some of the world’s top fashion designers and houses for her stage, screen and photo shoot looks including an “Alaia Paris” greenish-gold silk low-cut halter wrap dress with matching bra and ruffled bottom worn by Madonna on the cover of the July 1987 Cosmopolitan magazine (estimate: $8,000-$10,000). In her Golden Globe-winning role as Eva Peron in Evita (Cinergi, 1996), Madonna wore this vintage red and white foliate print crepe dress with a fitted bodice, puffed sleeves and a decorative bow designed by Penny Rose (estimate: $6,000-$8,000). The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and won one. Other auction highlights include a group of 12 large-format black and white photographs of Madonna taken by Herb Ritts during the San Pedro session in 1990, some with handwritten annotations (estimate: $2,000-$3,000); a pair of Atsuko Kudo couture latex black gloves with bows worn by Madonna in the Summer 2014 issue of V magazine in a magazine spread with Katy Perry (estimate: $3,000-$5,000); her black basque beret worn and photographed at the Jean Paul Gaultier in L.A. runway show benefitting the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1993 (estimate: $3,000-$5,000) and more.

2018 was the year in music films ruling the box office and rocking the awards circuit with the popular remake of A Star is Born (Warner Bros., 2018) and the mega phenomenon Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (20th Century Fox, 2018) captivating audiences worldwide. Spectacular items owned and used by A Star is Born’s Academy Award-winning singer and songwriter, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known to the world as Lady Gaga and the British supergroup, Queen, and their legendary lead singer, Freddie Mercury, will rock you in this season’s Music Icons. A custom-made black bomber jacket with punk-themed patches designed by Chris Sutton and worn in London 2014 in his Punk F**K You F**K Me film project on showstudio.com (estimate: $4,000-$6,000) and her custom-made Antonio Urzi designed black plastic harness with metal studs and black faceted stone accents worn during her 2012 Born This Way Ball World Tour are some of Lady Gaga’s boldest and most provocative items offered (estimate: $6,000-$8,000).

Queen’s instruments and gear used to record some of their definitive hits and their iconic fashions are the champions, including an Oberheim OB-Xa synthesizer that was used by Queen to record their 1984 single “Radio Ga Ga” at Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles and its original yellow Queen flight case (estimate: $8,000-$10,000); an ivory satin tie worn by Freddie Mercury while performing with Queen at Newcastle City Hall in Newcastle, England, on December 3 and 4, 1979 (estimate: $3,000-$5,000); a Premier drum pad signed by Queen drummer, Roger Taylor, in silver marker with a pair of Premier signature drumsticks used by Taylor (estimate: $400-$600); a pair of US size 10 white and gold Adidas sneakers worn and signed by guitarist, Brian May (estimate: $800-$1,200); a black silk shirt signed and worn by Freddie Mercury in the video and Mercury’s last filmed performance for the 1991 Queen single “These Are the Days of Our Lives” (estimate: $15,000-$20,000); a provocative red plastic female torso molding worn by one of the backup dancers in Freddie Mercury’s 1985 video for “I Was Born to Love You” (estimate: $400-$600) and more.

In celebration of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour and the highly anticipated May 2019 release of the film, Rocketman, comes a dazzling array of styles and fashions worn by one of the most revered pop music artists of all time, Elton John. Auction highlights from the five-time GRAMMY-winning and 34-time nominated singer/songwriter/pianist who produced the classic hits “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Your Song,” “Candle In the Wind,” and “Daniel,” include a pair of gold-toned wire-rim round glasses worn by Elton John on the cover of his 1995 Made in England album and to the 67th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 27, 1995, where John won an Academy Award that year for Best Original Song for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” in The Lion King (Disney, 1994) (estimate: $10,000-$20,000); his show stopping custom-made silver satin suit worn on The Russell Harty Show (BBC, 1974-1983) in 1974 (estimate: $6,000-$8,000); black wool blazer with ornate gold epaulets and tassels worn by Elton John on the Wogan show on June 15, 1990 as well as his Gianni Versace jackets, silver stage worn shoes, a stage worn red and blue Nike jacket and more.

Twenty-five years ago, Kurt Cobain, the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the rock band Nirvana, died at the age of 27, leaving a legacy that continues to loom large today as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in the history of rock and roll. His spirit and power lingers in the ephemera offered in this auction, most notably, a green acrylic and mohair cardigan with geometric patterns worn by Kurt Cobain in his last photoshoot in the summer of 1993 with photographer Jesse Frohman. Frohman was commissioned to shoot Nirvana for the album cover of In Utero, released on September 21, 1993. The jacket was gifted by his wife Courtney Love to an acquaintance after Cobain’s funeral on April 8, 1994 (estimate: $20,000-$30,000). Other Nirvana auction highlights include a used paper plate which Kurt Cobain had eaten pizza on with a handwritten set list in black marker by Cobain used at the 9:30 nightclub in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 1990 (estimate: $1,000-$2,000); a 1993 vinyl with Nirvana’s “Oh, the Guilt” song on one side and The Jesus Lizard’s “Puss” on the other, signed on the back of the cover by Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic and by The Jesus Lizard’s David Yow and David Wm (estimate: $1,000-$2,000), photographs, record awards and more.

A kaleidoscope of psychedelic concert posters from the personal collection of Alain Ronay, who became close friends with Jim Morrison when they attended UCLA together, will be presented. Over 30 lots of the genre’s finest and most mind bending, graphic artwork that capture the experimental acid fueled 1960s hippie subculture and the artists of their time were ardently collected by Ronay at many historic concerts and fabled venues. Highlights include (range of estimates: $200-$6,000) a first printing of Jimi Hendrix Concert Poster (Pinnacle Concert) at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on February 10, 1968 created by John Van Hamersveld; a first printing of The Doors/The Collectors/Painted Ship Concert Poster (Organic Arts), an unusual poster that rarely comes up for auction with artwork by Bob Masse, Victorian Arena [Victoria, Canada], July 20, 1967; and, arguably the most sought-after poster of the era: a Family Dog 26 – the iconic ‘Skeleton and Roses’ poster from the Grateful Dead’s show at the Avalon Ballroom in September 1966.

Other prominent auction items on offer include: a Universal Audio Console 610a from the legendary Western Recorders Studio #2 that was used to create iconic pop recordings such as Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night,” The Beach Boys’ "Barbara Ann," Ricky Nelson’s "Fools Rush In," Wayne Newton’s "Danke Shoen" as well as the theme songs to The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Hawaii Five-O and more (estimate: $300,000-$500,000); Bob Dylan’s handwritten and signed lyrics to his 1965 single “Like a Rolling Stone” on a stationery sheet from The Dorchester, London (estimate: $50,000-$70,000); Neil Diamond’s personal 1956 White Ford Thunderbird, two-seat roadster convertible whose sale proceeds will benefit MusiCares (estimate: $60,000-$80,000); a custom DW kit finished in Liquid Black Lacquer with black nickel hardware, played by Tommy Clufetos during the Black Sabbath Reunion Tour 2012-2014 (estimate: $30,000-$50,000); David Bowie’s two-piece brown suit and a burgundy red silk tie, worn in his 1986 “Absolute Beginners” music video as well as on the single cover (estimate: $8,000-$10,000); two pieces from Elvis Presley’s film career including his signed Jailhouse Rock movie contract from March 12, 1957 (estimate: $10,000-$20,000) and his off-white jacket worn in the film Kissin’ Cousins (MGM, 1964) (estimate: $20,000-$30,000); a 2004 Charvel EVH Art Series guitar in black and yellow, signed, striped and played by Eddie Van Halen during a performance in Houston on September 23, 2004 (estimate: $10,000-$20,000); a 2003 MTV VMA Moonman award presented to Frank Gatson Jr. for Best Choreography in a Video in the Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) music video, “Crazy in Love” (estimate: $2,000-$4,000); Rihanna’s one-of-a-kind, 3D gold metallic jumpsuit worn in her 2010 “Rude Boy” music video (estimate: $3,000-$5,000) plus numerous artifacts and wardrobe from Ronnie Dio, Ace Frehley’s stage played guitars, George Michael’s grey metallic stage-worn suit, Johnny Cash’s acoustic guitar and more.

“Julien’s Auctions is thrilled to present this once in a lifetime auction lineup of the most influential and iconic music artists of our time,” said Darren Julien, President/Chief Executive Officer of Julien’s Auctions. “These artifacts used on stage, in studio and on screen by the likes of Madonna, Prince, Queen, Kurt Cobain, Elton John and more represent our pop culture touchstones.”