Drew TewksburyWith the holiday season approaching faster than an X-Wing hurtling to the Dagobah system, it's never too early to get your shop on. Luckily for people with Johnny Cash fans and some disposable income in their lives, authentic items of the man in black's estate are going up for auction.
On December 5th, Julien's Auctions will be putting Johnny's guitars, song books, passport, Bible study course work, and jumpsuit worn at San Quentin up on the block. If you don't have $3,000 to throw down on Cash's monogrammed pink rollerskates,* the auction house will open for public viewing/gawking on November 19th-December 2nd.
Get a piece of Cash.
The scoop:
Highlights in the sale are lyrics personally penned by Cash. The lyrics include Cash's takes on traditional songs, an alternate version of “Don't Take Your Guns To Town,” (Est. $2,000/4,000) and many songs that have never been recorded.
Three guitars from different points in Cash's career are included in this auction — a vintage 1951 Martin guitar used by Cash in studio that later became the designated tour bus guitar (Est. $20,000/30,000).
Julien's Auctions
The second guitar is a Grammer Johnny Cash model used extensively by Cash on The Johnny Cash Show and later inscribed by Cash, “To Richard,/ Play It Pretty/Johnny Cash.” ($30,000/40,000) The third guitar offered for sale is also a Martin used by Cash in the 1980s and gifted to his friend Bill Miller. This guitar can be seen on the cover of the live album The Survivors. It has been inscribed by Cash with the first four lines of “I Walk the Line.” (Est. $20,000/30,000)
Julien's Auctions
Cash's personal style can be seen among the stage worn clothing offered for sale: A pair of early stage worn pants made by Cash's mother (Est. $1,000/3,000), the jumpsuit (Est. $3,000/5,000) worn by Cash while rehearsing at San Quentin prison that was immortalized in the photograph now known simply as “The Finger,” Cash's bicentennial parade worn shirt (Lot 756) and other patriotic clothing pieces from the mid-1970s, knee-high boots with an elaborate eagle design on alligator leather (Est. $1,500/2,000), an iconic Man in Black cape (Est. $2,000/3,000) and accompanied by clothing lots from the love of Cash's life, June Carter Cash (Est. $800/1,200 and $2,000/4,000).
Johnny Cash is known as a songwriter and performer, but this sale also sheds light on other, lesser known facets of his life as an actor, student, employer and writer. Cash's creativity shines through in his artwork, his bible study course work (Est. $800/1,200), scripts, Cash's screen worn costume from A Gunfight (Est. $2,000/3,000), working notes for songs, commercials and record endeavors, notes to and supporting his employees, letters from Presidents and his celebrity friends: Kris Kristofferson, Bruce Springsteen, Kirk Douglas and others.
Location: Julien's Auctions
9665 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 150
Beverly Hills, California 90210
Friday, November 19th – Thursday, December 2nd
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Daily
Thursday, November 25th — Closed For Thanksgiving
*We don't know if Cash's monogrammed pink rollerskates are actually up for sale. We just liked to imagine the king of cool in the lamest possible situation, and scooting around on monogrammed pink rollerskates while eating a double scoop rocky road ice cream cone was up there on the lame-o-meter. So was tickle fighting, but you can't auction off a Johnny Cash tickle fight**.
**Yes, this could also be your band's name.
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