Van Halen Drum Kit, Dylan Lyrics For Sale In Beverly Hills

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Sometimes a scrap of paper that could have been recycled will turn out to be worth around $700,000.

Julien’s Auctions, the Beverly Hills auction house specializing in music memorabilia, is auctioning off a number of almost sacred scribblings from musicians this week, in addition to a more than 1,000 other instruments and costumes from some of the world’s most famous rock stars. The items will be on exhibition at Julien’s Beverly Hills galleries on 257 N. Canon Drive from Monday through Saturday, and then auctioned online from June 11-13.

The free exhibition is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Connoisseurs will have a chance to buy - or just gaze longingly at - the notepad where Bob Dylan wrote the original lyrics to “Lay Lady Lay,” the original handwritten lyrics to Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind,” or a note Britney Spears wrote to her boyfriend in high school. Dylan’s notepad, which also contains original artwork, is expected to fetch anywhere between $500,000 and $700,000; “Candle in the Wind”, $60,000; and Spears’ letters, $4,000.

The auction will also feature the drum kit that Alex Van Halen played on more than 100 shows during his 1980 “Invasion Tour,” which was previously displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The $200,000 to $300,000 it’s expected to raise will be donated to the Frangioni Foundation, a nonprofit seeking to “inspire and empower young artists and communities through the power of music,” and the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which provides music education to low-income students.

Other items include a red two-piece Versace suit Prince wore in the 90s and a blue Cloud guitar he had around the same time, a signed self-portrait from Bono, and much more from Kurt Cobain, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, Cher, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Whitney Houston, and more.

Julien’s made headlines in May when Janet Jackson’s all-black getup from the movie “Scream” fetched $125,000. “Iconic Treasures From the Legendary Career and Life of Janet Jackson” sold more than 1,000 items from belonging to the singer, including $25,000 that Kim Kardashian paid for the cropped suede top and black lace-up pants Jackson wore in the music video for her 1993 song “If.”

See also:

• Janet Jackson 'Scream' Outfit Sells For $125K At Auction
• Kurt Cobain's Guitar Sold For $6M At Beverly Hills Auction