Judge Allows James Brown Auction

A South Carolina judge ruled Monday that an auction of soul singer James Brown’s belongings will go ahead as planned this week in New York.

South Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Jasper Cureton declined on Monday to block the sale, reports the Associated Press.

Christie’s auction house plans to hold the public sale Thursday, with more than 300 objects being offered to bidders, among these are several performance outfits, including a red jumpsuit and a blue satin cape, hair curlers, sunglasses, instruments, handwritten lyrics as well as a green vinyl sofa.

The sale is expected to fetch as much as $2 million.

James Brown’s Yamaha baby grand piano from his South Carolina home is up for bids, as is the denim jumpsuit James Brown wore in 1974 at the concert before the well-known “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.

Brown, the self-proclaimed “Godfather of Soul,” died a year and a half ago at 73 due to complications from pneumonia. He remains one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music.

Also referred to as “King of Funk” and “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business,” his hits include “Papa's Got a Brand New Bag,” “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “It's a Man's Man's Man's World,” “Please, Please, Please,” “Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud.”

According tot the AP, it was the legendary singer’s former business managers, Buddy Dallas and Alfred Bradley, that wished to stop the auction, arguing that the court should not have been permitted to appoint new trustees to handle Brown’s estate.

A legal battle ensued after the death of James Brown, with at least one dozen persons undergoing DNA tests to prove that they were Brown’s unacknowledged children.

James Brown named in his will only six children. Tomie Rae Hynie, who claims to be the fourth wife of the singer, and her son weren’t included in Brown’s will and last February she filed a lawsuit in a South Carolina court, asking the court to recognize her marriage.