Around 150 items owned by Prince will go up for auction at New York's hard Rock Cafe on Friday. From glittery pantsuits to expensive guitars, there's something to make every Prince fan swoon.
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Prince memorabilia to be auctioned
New York auction house Julien's Auctions is selling around 150 items that once belonged to Prince. From vibrant stage outfits to signed napkins, everything up for sale is sure to make fans' hearts beat faster.
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A taste of what's on offer
Before the auction kicks off, bidders can take a look around New York's Hard Rock Cafe to see what's up for auction. The yellow guitar is of course an eye-catcher, but more on that later...
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No suits off-the-rack here
This eye-catching white suit was worn by Prince in 2003 during a gig in Hong Kong. The musician was legendary for his imaginative outfits. Now, fans have the chance to bid on several of them at the auction in New York's Hard Rock Café – that is, if they have the necessary cash.
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Bright, bold and sparkling
These pantsuits were favored by Prince during his Purple Rain era. You can see them in the exhibition My Name is Prince, currently on display in Amsterdam. Fans can't bid on these pieces, but not to worry: Julien's has many colorful outfits on offer, including a blue one the superstar wore at his millennium party, estimated at $70,000.
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Shoes, shoes and more shoes
Whether red, green, blue, patterned or embroidered with glitter: Prince had a collection of footwear that would make some women pale with envy. The items belonged to Prince's first wife, dancer Mayte Garcia, who left them to Julien's Auctions.
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A valuable collector's item
This yellow cloud guitar, which owes its name to its whimsical shape, is sure to make fans' hearts beat faster, and is the highlight of the auction. Julien's values it at around $80,000 (€68,000), but when the bidding war starts, the final price will probably be much higher. In 2017, a similar guitar was sold for $700,000.
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Prince's favorite symbol
The musician wore this hat with chains on the cover of his album My Name Is Prince. Unmistakable is its "Love Symbol," which is also the name of his 14th album. The figure itself combines traditional symbols of man and woman, Prince once explained.
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Walking stick or musical magic wand?
The love symbol is unmistakable on the tip of this walking stick, which is embellished with diamonds. The fancy item also made an appearance in the video for the song "Fix Ur Life Up." The upcoming auction will determine whether the diamond accessory is worth as much to fans as it was to Prince himself.
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Julien's Auctions is holding the auction titled "Music Icons: Property from the Life and Career of Prince" at New York City's Hard Rock Café on Friday. The items belonged to Prince's first wife, dancer Mayte Jannell Garcia
They include custom-made stage outfits as well as shoes, baseball caps, childhood photos, music prizes and even a hand-signed napkin.
Other highlights of the auction include a diamond pendant with Prince's famous "Love Symbol," as well as the instruments of the deceased pop icon. One of them is a Schecter "White Cloud" electric guitar commissioned by Prince in 2002.
Julien's achieved the world record for the highest price ever paid for a Prince guitar in November, 2017, by selling one of his former instruments for $700,000 (nearly €600,000).
Early death of a musical genius
Prince died at the age of 57 in April 2016 at his estate in Minneapolis, Minnesota from an overdose of painkillers. He had suffered from severe pain in his hips and knees for years and was dependent on opioids. Last April, prosecutors investigating the death of the pop star determined they would not file criminal charges related to his accidental overdose.
Born Prince Rogers Nelson in 1958, the musician achieved world fame with his album Purple Rain in 1984 and was celebrated for hits such as "Kiss," "Raspberry Beret" and "1999."
Prince: The pop legend's life in pictures
Pop genius Prince's music influenced an entire generation. His fashion sense also had a marked impact. The pop star legend, who died in 2016 at the age of 57, would have turned 65 on June 7, 2023.
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Birth of a star
Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 7, 1958. He had a strong interest in music early on and is said to have written his first song at the age of seven. At 20, he released his debut album, "For You." His 1979 album "Prince" went platinum due to the success of the singles "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover."
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'Purple Rain'
His next three records, "Dirty Mind" (1980), "Controversy" (1981), and "1999" (1982), established Prince's trademark of blatantly sexual lyrics and infusion of funk, dance, and rock. In 1984, he named his backup band "The Revolution" and released "Purple Rain," which served as the soundtrack to his film debut. According to Prince, the color purple symbolized the end of the world.
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Musical genius
Prince played a total of 15 musical instruments, among them guitar, drums, keyboard, electric bass and synthesizer. He often played all the instruments himself in studio productions. His global hits included songs like "Kiss" and "When Doves Cry," as well as "Purple Rain" from 1984.
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Debut as a director brought mixed rewards
In 1986, Prince directed and starred as a gigolo named Christopher Tracy in the musical, "Under the Cherry Moon." Despite the film's poor performance and many Golden Raspberry Awards — a parody honor highlighting the worst of cinema — the soundtrack album was critically praised as Prince's finest record yet. "Kiss" hit number one on the Billboard chart and "Mountains" reached number 23.
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One artist, many names
After releasing the albums "Around the World in a Day" (1985) and "Parade" (1986), The Revolution disbanded and Prince released several solo albums before debuting The New Power Generation band in 1991. He changed his stage name in 1993 to an unpronounceable symbol, which became known as the "Love Symbol." In 2000, he began referring to himself as "Prince" again.
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Love-life that both turbulent and tragic
Prince was romantically linked to many celebrities, including Kim Basinger, Madonna and Carmen Electra. In 1996, he married his 22-year-old backup singer Mayte Garcia (pictured). They had a son named Boy Gregory, who died shortly after birth from Pfeiffer syndrome — a genetic bone disorder. Two years after their divorce, Prince married Manuela Testolini. She filed for divorce in May 2006.
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Never-ending success
While his guitar may have gently wept, Prince did manage to sell over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
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Prince's final years
In this image, Prince is attending a match at the French Open involving Rafael Nadal in 2014. That year, Prince released a new single, "The Breakdown." He also announced that he had re-signed with his former label, Warner Bros., after an 18-year split. His penultimate album "Hit n Run Phase One" was available on the music streaming service Tidal before being released as a CD in September 2015.
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A pop icon dies
His final album, "HIT 'n Run Phase Two," was first released exclusively on the Tidal streaming service on December 11, 2015. Prince was in the middle of what would be his last tour — the Piano & A Microphone Tour — when he had to postpone two performances stating that he was "battling flu." Prince was found dead at his Paisley Park complex in Minnesota on the morning of April 21, 2016.