A collection of items from the late Tony Bennett will go up for sale via Julien’s Auctions on April 18. Among the items up for grabs at the auction, called A Life Well Lived, are letters, messages and autographs from stars like Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse and Madonna.
According to Rolling Stone, Lady Gaga’s autograph is on the sheet music for her duet with Tony, “The Lady Is a Tramp.” She wrote, “Dear Tony, I’ll always be your tramp.” Amy Winehouse’s autograph is on the sheet music for their duet, “Body and Soul.” She wrote, “Happy 85th /You handsome legend you. Your biggest fan … Amy XX.” Both autographs are estimated to sell for between $1,000 and $1,500.
Madonna’s letter is part of a leather-bound scrapbook of letters to Bennett wishing him a happy 75th birthday — the whole book is estimated to go for up to $12,000. Madonna wrote, “You are truly one of the greatest!” The scrapbook also includes letters from Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Muhammad Ali and Matt Groening.
The collection, which also includes paintings, clothing, gold record awards and more, will be on display at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco from April 8-10 and then at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center building from April 10-16. The auction starts the day after Josh Groban hosts an all-star tribute to Bennett at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s annual gala fundraiser.
Bennett’s manager, his son Danny, tells Rolling Stone that later this year Paramount+ will premiere The Lady and The Legend, a documentary about the friendship between Gaga and Tony.
Bennett died July 21, 2023, at age 96.
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