Amy Winehouse possessions, some prized, hit auction block
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Nearly 800 of the late Amy Winehouse’s belongings, including the short dress the late British songstress wore to perform her final concert, are coming up for auction in a matter of days.
The green-and-black dress, and a heart-shaped Moschino purse that the Grammy Award winner was frequently photographed clutching, are each expected to fetch $15,000 to $20,000, Reuters reported.
The “Rehab” singer died of alcohol poisoning in July 2011 at the age of 27.
Julien’s Auctions has billed the two-day event, slated for Saturday and Sunday in Beverly Hills and online, as featuring Winehouse’s “most iconic stage, photo shoot and performance worn dresses, shoes, jewelry and accessories that were synonymous with the individualistic style and signature artistry of the five-time Grammy Award-winning retro-soul music superstar and pop diva.”
“Along with her most personal items, all will be presented for the first time at auction,” the listing continued.
Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions, told Reuters that Winehouse’s parents decided the time was right to release their daughter’s personal and professional items.
“It’s been a cathartic experience for them, but also a very emotional rollercoaster for parents to give up their daughter’s possessions,” said Nolan, who co-owns the Culver City, California-based auction house with Darren Julien and has worked for two years curating the Winehouse sale.
“But they know that these items (are) going to go to fans and collectors and museums and investors all over the world that will continue to appreciate them, enjoy them, showcase them,” Nolan added.
Specializing in the sale of pop culture memorabilia, Julien’s Auctions has handled collections and estates from high-profile entertainers including Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Banksy, Cher, Michael Jackson, Sharon Tate and Burt Reynolds.
According to Reuters, most of Winehouse’s dresses are conservatively priced betweent $2,000 and $4,000. Meanwhile, opening bids for belts, perfume, shoes, ballet slippers, guitars and drum kits start as low as $50.
A portion of the auction’s proceeds will benefit the Amy Winehouse Foundation, created “to inspire children and young people to build their self-esteem and resilience, so they can flourish.”
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 16: V FESTIVAL Photo of Amy WINEHOUSE, Amy Winehouse performing on stage (Photo by Mark Holloway/Redferns)
UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 02: Amy Winehouse at the Mobo Awards Nominations 2003, At Tantra Nightclub In Kingley Street In Soho, London (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)
UNITED KINGDOM – DECEMBER 02: BUSH HALL Photo of Amy WINEHOUSE (Photo by Sal Idriss/Redferns)
NEWPORT, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 10: Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse perform on stage on the final day of the Isle of Wight Festival 2007 in Newport on June 10, 2007 on the Isle of Wight, England. (Photo by Getty Images)
Amy Winehouse performing at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2007 (Photo by Andy Willsher/Redferns/Getty Images)
LONDON – OCTOBER 09: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) (L-R) Mary Kate Olsen, Amy Winehouse and Ashley Olsen attend the launch dinner of The Row hosted by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, at Harvey Nichols on October 9, 2007 in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)
Amy Winehouse (Photo by Tim Whitby/WireImage)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 26: Well-wishers pay their respects as they look at the flowers, candles and cards at Amy Winehouse’s home in Camden Square on the day of her funeral on July 26, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Neil Mockford/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 01: Blake Fielder-Civil and singer Amy Winehouse in the audience during the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards held at the Olympiahalle on November 1, 2007 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME. MANDATORY CREDIT PHOTO BY DAVE M. BENETT/GETTY IMAGES REQUIRED) (L-R) Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse attend the after show party for Tony Bennett’s concert at Royal Albert Hall on July 1, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)
UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 28: SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE Photo of Amy WINEHOUSE, Amy Winehouse performing on stage (Photo by Chris Christoforou/Redferns)
LONDON – JULY 06: Amy Winehouse makes a surprise appearance as she performs with Mark Ronson (L) at the 100 Club on July 6, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
Amy Winehouse, portrait with band, London, United Kingdom, 2003. (Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns)
Singer Amy Winehouse performs on the Bud Light stage at Lollapalooza 2007 in Grant Park on Aug. 5, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. Nearly 800 personal and professional items that once belonged to the British songstress are slated to hit the auction block on Nov. 6-7, 2021, through Julien’s Auctions. (Photo by Jason Squires/WireImage)
Mitch Winehouse attends the statue unveiling of Amy Winehouse in Camnden Market. (Photo by rune hellestad/Corbis via Getty Images)
LONDON – MAY 22: (UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS OUT) Singer Amy Winehouse and her father Mitch attend the 53rd Ivor Novello Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel on May 22, 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Davies/Getty Images)
British singer Amy Winehouse is pictured during a break in her trial outside Westminster Magistrates Court in London on July 23, 2009. British singer Amy Winehouse launched an "unjustifiable" attack on a female fan who politely asked her for a photograph at a charity ball, a court heard on Thursday. The 25-year-old songstress — said to be on the road to recovery from her drug addiction — denies beating Sherene Flash, a dancer, in an incident in Berkeley Square, central London, on September 26. AFP PHOTO/Ben Stansall (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
