Estate sales are always a mixed bag, but the James Brown auction at Christie’s in August will be something special, TMZ.com reports. Sure, fans will be able to snag coveted items like a Grammy or keyboard, but the Godfather’s socks, underwear and canceled checks? Say it loud: His estate is broke.
A judge ordered the auction to pay off the estate’s legal fees and overdue taxes—$1.6 million for just this year's bills. The 394 lots also include a letter to his banker hand-written from prison and more than a dozen jumpsuits—including a “sex jumpsuit" (with moth holes). In keeping with family custom, the feuding factions dispute the ownership of certain items. (More James Brown stories.)