Three of music's biggest legacies are converging on the auction block this fall.
Auction house Propstore has unveiled the lineup for its upcoming music memorabilia sale, and the top-billed item is a black-and-gold military-style jacket worn by Michael Jackson during public appearances between 1994 and 1996. Trimmed in 24-carat gold braiding, the jacket carries a pre-sale estimate of £180,000 to £360,000.
Right behind it is a piece of Beatles history - a Pan American Airways menu signed by all four members during their first flight to the United States on February 7, 1964, estimated at £40,000 to £80,000. Queen fans, meanwhile, can bid on a stage-worn black wrap-around top and flared trousers worn by Freddie Mercury during the band's Sheer Heart Attack tour, valued between £60,000 and £120,000.
The jacket, the menu, and Mercury's outfit are just three of more than 800 lots going under the hammer, with the entire sale expected to fetch a combined £3 million (€3.5 million). The auction takes place October 1-2, with online, telephone, and absentee bidding available, and a free public exhibition running September 24-27 at The Cumberland Hotel in London.
Other highlights include Noel Gallagher's guitar from Oasis's 1996 MTV Unplugged performance, John Lennon's tinted glasses, and George Michael's Faith-tour eyewear. Propstore's music specialist Mark Hochman said the lots connect to defining moments in music history, each carrying its own story.
Long before the sequins and stage lights, Jackson's musical roots traced back to church - the Jackson 5 got their start singing gospel songs, a foundation that would later surface in the spiritual undertones of hits like "Man in the Mirror" and "Heal the World." For collectors and fans alike, pieces like these are more than fashion or memorabilia; they're physical links to artists whose music, for all its fame and complexity, never fully left its roots behind.
