Despite protests from his children, an auction selling some of James Brown’s prized mementoes raised nearly $900,000.
Fans of the legendary singer packed a New York auction house earlier this week to bid on items ranging from Brown’s signature capes to a medical bracelet the Godfather of Soul once wore on stage.
According to event organizers, more than 300 of Brown’s belongings were sold, bringing in a total of $857,688. Auction officials say they were shocked at how much people were willing to pay for the late rocker’s personal goods. Bidding reportedly rocketed past estimates for many of the items, which included Brown’s furniture, musical instruments and a poem Muhammad Ali wrote for him.
On bid worth mentioning came from “Late Show with David Letterman” band leader Paul Shaffer, who agreed to pay $32,500 for Brown’s medical bracelet. The item went for more than 100 times its presale estimate. According to auction officials, the bracelet contained information about Brown’s health including that he was a diabetic and was allergic to penicillin.
Another item that fetched a ton of cash was the denim jumpsuit Brown wore for the 1974 concert preceding the “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing bout between Ali and George Foreman. The jumpsuit, embellished with studs spelling out “GFOS,” for “Godfather of Soul,” sold for $25,000, according to auction officials. Another auction highlight was an intricately beaded, black satin cape that went for $47,500 and a blue satin one embroidered with “Thy Name Is Godfather of Soul,” which fetched $35,000.
Brown died of heart failure at the age of 73 on Christmas Day 2006. Since then his estate has been mired in turmoil and contention. In January court-appointed trustees announced that the singer’s possessions would be auctioned, in part to pay taxes his estate owed. His former business managers tried unsuccessfully to block the auctioned Brown’s children called it a dishonor to their dead father.