It’s only been a week since Whitney Houston died in a Beverly Hills hotel room, but the iconic singer’s belongings are already slated for auction. However, according to auctioneer Darren Julien, of Julien’s Auctions, the speedy auction isn’t just about making a timely profit, it’s also meant as a celebration of Whitney’s life.
“It’s a celebration of her life,” Julien told the AP. “If you hide these things in fear that you’re going to offend someone – her life is to be celebrated. These items are historic now that she passed. They become a part of history. They should be in museums. She’s lived a life and had a career that nobody else has ever had.”
Among the items up for grabs at the March 31st – April 1st auction are the black velvet gown and vest Houston wore in the 1992 blockbuster The Bodyguard, as well as a pair of pearl drop earrings. The items will be included in Julien’s “Hollywood Legends” event, an auction which will also include Charlie Chaplin’s cane, Clark Gable’s jacket from Gone With the Wind, and Charlton Heston’s staff from The Ten Commandments.
“For people who are fans of Whitney Houston and never would have had a chance to meet her and never got to talk to her, these are items that literally touched a part of her life,” Julien said. “They are a way to relate to her or be a part of her life without having known her.”
Sources: AP/Art Daily, Time