For about $700, you could wake up next weekend donning the Godfather of Soul’s embroidered purple silk pajamas. After legal wrangling between warring camps of his estate, Christie’s is set to auction off the personal belongings of James Brown on Thursday. Sadly, the collection won’t be part of the Graceland-styled mansion some of his heirs are advocating, but instead will be pawned off to pay for legal costs resulting from a messy and contested estate.
It turns out (surprise!) Brown had a whole mess of jumpsuits. They come in a rainbow of colors, some wool, some denim, and some polyester. Nine of them have the capital letters S-E-X stitched across the midsection. Looking to redecorate? Nothing shouts “Good gawd!” like JB’s metallic green vinyl sofa set. Austin bands can add some soul to their lineup with the Godfather’s original Hammond B3 organ, expected to fetch between $10,000-$15,000. The most puzzling lot, listed simply as “hair supplies,” includes a pile of hair rollers, picks, and combs, 11 cans of hairspray, and a Polaroid of a shirtless JB sporting curlers. Cost? That one is priceless.
This article appears in July 11 • 2008.
