In hommage to the tracks on Appetite for Destruction, over the next 12 days leading up to the Grammy Awards Auction (Feb. 6),  I’ll profile (and poke fun at) others, like Guns N' Roses, that ascended to musical royalty and then became fodder for this blog.

Track 4: “Out Ta Get Me” ... Dedicated to Chris Gaines

The GNR lyrics for “Out Ta Get Me” are based on the constant legal troubles lead singer Axl Rose faced while growing up in Indiana where skrawny kids with long red hair and tats sort of stood out.  So as I started looking for a Grammy blog to coincide with track four from Appetite, it became apparent if I focused on the “menace to society” angle I’d be writing until next year’s Grammy Awards. Not everyone is as angelic as Josh Groban.

Instead I’m tackling the song from a schizophrenia angle … well sort of.

In the 19th century, psychologists coined the phrase for people with a second self. In layman’s terms, they thought they were more than one person … sometimes at the same time. Real Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde stuff. Internal battle for control between two opposing view points or moral compasses.

One of the funniest moments in Animal House focuses on this when Pinto is trying to decide how to end the evening with a passed out supermarket cashier. He gets advice from both good and bad Pintos. In the end, good triumphs and the dean’s daughter returns home, albeit in a shopping card, untouched.

In an industry full of escentric musicians who sometimes go by single names (Cher, Madonna, Celine) or one name that isn’t their God-given one (Bono, Edge, Pink) is it really a stretch to see David Bowie become Ziggy Stardust or Miley Cyrus transform into Hannah Montana? At least they became other people. Prince had to turn himself in a symbol. Marshall Mathers channels Eminem and Slim Shady (for his more violent raps).

To bring a harder edge to songs on The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige “became” the crazy Brook-Lyn. Just imagine Thanksgiving at the Blige house: 

Mom: "Mary, you looked a little ... um ... nasty in your video for 'Enough Cryin.'"

Mary: "Nasty?"

Mom: "Yeah, with that hootchie shirt all tied up and showing your belly."

Mary: "Oh come on now mom, that was Brook-Lyn; not me. Please pass the gravy."

But one of the more baffling “transformations” occurred in 1999 when Chris Gaines was born.

Around that time Garth Brooks had released his seventh studio album, Sevens, and was enjoying his usual multi-million sales celebrations. Sevens was his fourth album to reach sales of 10 million copies. In all, Brooks has sold over 128 million albums.

Yet there was something missing. Or calling him from somewhwere inside his Wranglers.

In a move that showed Brooks was born in Tulsa, Okla., with a bronze pair to go with his golden touch, he and his production company developed a movie, The Lamb, that revolved around a fictional rock singer Chris Gaines. And who better to “play” Gaines than Brooks who had already combined some of his rock roots (he credits KISS as an early influence) into stage shows never seen before in Nashville, Tenn.

To create a buzz for the project, Brooks/Gaines wrote and released the album The Life of Chris Gaines, appeared as Gaines in a segement of VH1’s Behind the Music and served as musical guest on Saturday Night Live (when Brooks served as guest host).

Brooks’ fans were left feeling like friends in low places? What the hell was going on? Had the pop in Brooks finally kicked the crap out of his country boy?

While the album peaked at No. 2 on the charts and produced Brooks' first … and only … United States top 40 single in “Lost in You,” retailers couldn’t give the album away after the initial rush. The Lamb never made it to the screen. And Gaines disappeared from public view.

I would have liked to have seen Brooks/Gaines pull it together. I'm not a big country fan, but I've always liked Brooks and his ability to cross those lines between country and rock. His version of "Hard Luck Woman" on Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved, was better than the Peter Criss version.

Who knows, but when Brooks returns from self-retirement maybe we'll get to see a little more of Gaines even if he's shaved his soul patch.

Tomorrow (Jan. 30, 2009): “Mr. Brownstone” … Dedicated to Amy Winehouse 

51st Annual Grammy Awards Live Charity Auction
When: Feb. 6, 2009
Where: Los Angeles, Calif.
Auction Time: 8pE/5pP
What's The Deal?: The items assembled represent over 70 years of music history from early jazz greats to rock 'n' roll legends. The auction features the generously donated collection of producer Andy Budde, with an extensive amount of Rolling Stones and Beatles memorabilia. Also up for bid are stage-played guitars from David Bowie and Eric Clapton, as well as Frank Sinatra and Elton John signed recording contracts and memorabilia from Bob Dylan. A 20% buyer's premium will be added to the hammer price on individual lots $50,000 and higher, and a 25% buyer's premium on all individual lots of $0-$49,000. There will be an additional 3% buyer's premium charged for lots won on Auction Network.
Register: Click here
View Catalog: Click here      

In hommage to the tracks on Appetite for Destruction, over the next 12 days leading up to the Grammy Awards Auction (Feb. 6),  I’ll profile (and poke fun at) others, like Guns N' Roses, that ascended to musical royalty and then became fodder for this blog.

Track 2: “It's So Easy” ... Dedicated to Boy Bands

Most of us have been there.

Belting out anthems and ballads into hairbrushes with the music turned up just loud enough that we convince ourselves we sound as good as the real singers. Strumming away on a broom or air pretending we’re Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen rocking a 20,000 seat auditorium.

Where was Rock Band and Guitar Hero when I was 8?

I, like other frustrated (and less talented) wannabe rockers, dreamt of forming the ultimate garage band and making it big. Sharing toothbrushes. Eating garbage instead of three squares a day. Playing gigs for exposure, not a piece of the door action. Handing out flyers. Traveling cross country in a bus or van reaking of blood, sweat and tears.

Paying dues is as much a part of music as power chords, bridges and getting screwed by management and record labels.

So I’ve always had a fundamental problem with manufactured groups … using the word “band” would be an injustice.

Instead of having to prove your chops to get a break, all you needed was to hit a falseto, lip-synch while going through choreographed moves and possess looks that make young girls act like ... well young girls. I can’t see Angus Young or James Hetfield making the cut.

Where did we go wrong as a society that songwriting and being able to keep time was replaced by frosted tips and good fashion sense?

Yet the boy band fad, that started around the time of The Monkees, grew into a multi-million dollar making industry in the 1990s under the direction of managers like Maurice Starr (New Edition and New Kids on the Block), Lou Pearlman (Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync) and Simon Cowell.

I’m a sucker for melody and good harmonies, so I’ve always been able to tolerate some of the songs the groups recorded, but it bothered me that it was so easy for these pre-fabs.

After a few months of shopping mall appearances, singing the national anthem at a ballpark and a well placed magazine photoshoot, these bands were seling out Madison Garden, selling millions of albums and selling out.

The Backstreet Boys proved to be “larger than life” moving over 100 million albums. NKOTB showed the “right stuff” selling 80 million and the pre-Alpha Dog Justin Timberlake fronted ‘N Sync rode “Bye Bye Bye” and “It’s Gonna Be Me” to just over 56 million.

Boys II Men was nominated for a Grammy (Best New Artist) in 1992. The Backstreet Boys received the same honor in 1999. Both lost to Marc Cohn and Lauryn Hill, respectively.

But the party didn’t last.

Members began to grow up. Voice ranges changed. Bobby Brown lost his mind and discovered CMT. Donnie Wahlberg went Hollywood and began to see dead people. Lance Bass decided he was destined to go into space. Chris "I heart Eminem" Kirkpatrick became even more cartoonish. Pearlman went to jail … shameless plug time … click here to watch the Auction Network’s coverage of the sale of Pearlman’s home.

And core audiences moved on to other scams like pyramid schemes and magic pills that help you lose 30 pounds overnight.

Tomorrow (Jan. 28, 2009): “Nightrain” … Dedicated to Oasis

51st Annual Grammy Awards Live Charity Auction
When: Feb. 6, 2009
Where: Los Angeles, Calif.
Auction Time: 8pE/5pP
What's The Deal?: The items assembled represent over 70 years of music history from early jazz greats to rock 'n' roll legends. The auction features the generously donated collection of producer Andy Budde, with an extensive amount of Rolling Stones and Beatles memorabilia. Also up for bid are stage-played guitars from David Bowie and Eric Clapton, as well as Frank Sinatra and Elton John signed recording contracts and memorabilia from Bob Dylan. A 20% buyer's premium will be added to the hammer price on individual lots $50,000 and higher, and a 25% buyer's premium on all individual lots of $0-$49,000. There will be an additional 3% buyer's premium charged for lots won on Auction Network.
Register: Click here
View Catalog: Click here     

In hommage to the tracks on Appetite for Destruction, over the next 12 days leading up to the Grammy Awards Auction (Feb. 6),  I’ll profile (and poke fun at) others, like Guns N' Roses, that ascended to musical royalty and then became fodder for this blog.

Track 1: “Welcome to the Jungle” ... Dedicated to Christopher Cross

The second greatest metal song of all time according to VH1, "Welcome to the Jungle," climbed to No. 7 in the Billboard charts and cemented the hard-partying GNR as the new bad boys of rock.

Known less for his groupie preferences and hotel room trashing, Christopher Cross also exploded onto the national scene with the release of a debut album albeit in 1979. Behind the strength of singles like “Sailing,” “Ride Like the Win” and “Never Be the Same,” Cross (and his self-titled album) made history becoming the first artist to receive all of the “Big Four” Grammy Awards (Best Record, Song, Album and New Artist) in 1981.

While there’s a part of me that has trouble even mentioning Cross and GNR in the same blog, the fact is that when the album with the pink flamingo hit (yeah, never got his infatuation with the bird), it hit big and for 18 months or so Cross was the baddest cat in the jungle.

Ladies loved him. Adult contemporary radio swooned. And the world had a more sensitive Jimmy Buffett.

Keep in mind that as we moved into the 1980s, people were fed up with Disco. Bon Scott was on the “Highway to Hell,” Led Zeppelin disbanded and only a year prior Cross had been fronting a cover band, Flash.

And as if his pick-up lines hadn’t already been bolstered (“How about you and me get out of here and go back to my place to check out my Grammy awards?”), Cross had to one-up himself scoring an Oscar for Best Original Song with “Arthur’s Them (Best That You Can Do).”

His sophomore effort, Another Page, faired OK by Cross standards thanks to the top 10 hit “Think of Laura.”

But then it was time for Cross to do a little “sailing” of his own … into the sunset. His third album, Every Turn of the World, in 1985 produced zero top 40 hits.

Tomorrow (Jan. 27, 2009): “It’s So Easy" ... Dedicated to the Boy Bands

51st Annual Grammy Awards Live Charity Auction
When: Feb. 6, 2009
Where: Los Angeles, Calif.
Auction Time: 8pE/5pP
What's The Deal?: The items assembled represent over 70 years of music history from early jazz greats to rock 'n' roll legends. The auction features the generously donated collection of producer Andy Budde, with an extensive amount of Rolling Stones and Beatles memorabilia. Also up for bid are stage-played guitars from David Bowie and Eric Clapton, as well as Frank Sinatra and Elton John signed recording contracts and memorabilia from Bob Dylan. A 20% buyer's premium will be added to the hammer price on individual lots $50,000 and higher, and a 25% buyer's premium on all individual lots of $0-$49,000. There will be an additional 3% buyer's premium charged for lots won on Auction Network.
Register: Click here
View Catalog: Click here    

I wasn’t born when Jim Brown was shredding collegiate and NFL defenses. So for me, the best running back I’ve ever watched make a defense earn it's scholarship and paycheck (sometimes at the same time) is Barry Sanders.

The NFL Hall of Famer and career Detroit Lions back had it all. Power. Speed. Humility. And the ability to make 260-pound linebackers look like they should be suiting up for the San Diego Seduction or Los Angeles Temptation of the Lingerie Football League.

Did you know that the Oklahoma State coaching staff “found” the modest and unrecruited 5-foot-8 running back while scouting other players at Wichita (Kan.) High School?  In 1988, after two seasons in Stillwater, Okla., backing up All-America tailback Thurman Thomas, Sanders led the nation by averaging 7.6 yards per carry and over 200 yards per game. En route to the Heisman Trophy that year, Sanders racked up 3,249 total yards of offense and 39 touchdowns.

Talk about dumb luck … and job security.

So as I was flipping through the Julien’s Auctions 51st Grammy Awards live charity auction catalog, I couldn’t help but think of my own Barry Sanders moment when I got to lot 101 on page 75.

I remember going into Rainbow Records in Altus, Okla., in the summer of 1987 to pick up a vinyl copy of Poison’s Look What the Cat Dragged In. On the floor next to it was an album featuring a rapist robot and the words “Appetite for Destruction.” What the hell was Guns N’ Roses? Another one of those slick Sunset Strip acts looking to cash in on the hair metal success of Motley Crue, Ratt, Dokken and Bon Jovi?

At that point in my life, if a band was endorsed by a hair spray company, I was their huckleberry. Needless to say I left the store with both LPs.

From the opening riff of "Welcome to the Jungle" that guitarist Slash came up with while living in the basement of his mother’s house to the last Steven Adler snare crash of “Rocket Queen” I was hooked. I can’t remember how many phonograph needles I wore out listening to those 12 tracks.

I’ve long stopped listening to Brett Michaels who these days is more interested in figuring out how many skanks he can cram into a tour bus for VH1's Rock of Love. But that GNR album is always in iPod rotation. In fact it’s part of my fivesome I’d take if stranded on a desert island … but that’s another blog.

Up for bid in the auction is a pencil-on-paper rendition of the image that replaced Robert Williams’s original robot cover art. Many retailers refused to stock the original GNR album unless a tamer image was used. The record label buckled (GNR hadn’t exploded yet) and Billy White Jr.’s sketch that was the basis for one of frontman Axl Rose’s tattoos, was used on subsequent pressings of an album that has gone on to sell more than 18 million copies.

The band sold over 14 million copies of the 1991 follow-up albums Use Your Illustion I and Use Your Illusion II, but after that strife, substance abuse, power struggles and Rose’s larger-than-life personality ended the ride for us all.

It was a sad end for a band that had all the earmarkings of the next Rolling Stones, Aerosmith or Beatles. So much unfulfilled promise.

As the second verse of “Welcome to the Jungle” reminds us:
“You Can Taste The Bright Lights / But You Won’t Get Them for Free.”

Which got me thinking, what other bands have had a bright future placed at their disposal but blew it, blew up or blew away?

So, in hommage to the tracks on Appetite, over the next 12 days leading up to the Grammy Awards Auction (Feb. 6),  I’ll profile (and poke fun) at others who ascended to musical royalty and then became fodder for this blog.

Tomorrow (Jan. 26, 2009): “Welcome to the Jungle” ... Dedicated to Christopher Cross

51st Annual Grammy Awards Live Charity Auction
When: Feb. 6, 2009
Where: Los Angeles, Calif.
Auction Time: 8pE/5pP
What's The Deal?: The items assembled represent over 70 years of music history from early jazz greats to rock 'n' roll legends. The auction features the generously donated collection of producer Andy Budde, with an extensive amount of Rolling Stones and Beatles memorabilia. Also up for bid are stage-played guitars from David Bowie and Eric Clapton, as well as Frank Sinatra and Elton John signed recording contracts and memorabilia from Bob Dylan. A 20% buyer's premium will be added to the hammer price on individual lots $50,000 and higher, and a 25% buyer's premium on all individual lots of $0-$49,000. There will be an additional 3% buyer's premium charged for lots won on Auction Network.
Register: Click here
View Catalog: Click here   

The Auction Network conducted a fraking cool open casting call looking for two enthusiastic Battlestar Galactica fans to be special commentators during the Battlestar Galactica Auction that will air live from the Pasadena Convention Center on Jan. 17-18, 2009. The auction is presented by Propworx and the NBC Universal Television, DVD, Music and Consumer Products Group.

Applicants auditioned both at Universal CityWalk in Universal City, Calif., and via YouTube submissions. Judges rated the fans on expertise in BSG trivia and all other matters BSG, ability to articulate thoughts and deliver commentary clearly, capability to express themselves with brevity and good camera presence.

Thanks to all who participated in this contest and to everyone who commented on the YouTube videos.

And now it’s time to reveal the winners:
• Ryan Keeton from Leesville, La.
• Lauren Osborne from San Diego, Calif.

We have also decided to add one more knuckle-dragger to the cast. Melody Mooney (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) will blog from the Pasadena Convention Center during and after the event.

To check out all the casting videos that made the cut, click here. More...

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — An array of treasures from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch ranging from his iconic white-jeweled glove to the grandiose entry gates to Neverland Ranch are up for sale in a tour de force auction boasting more than 2,000 items in a live auction conducted by Julien's Auctions.

Beginning with a highlights tour to major cities worldwide, Julien's Auctions will host a seven-day museum quality exhibition at 9900 Wilshire adjacent to The Beverly Hilton open to the public on April 14-20. The auction begins on April 21 and runs through April 25.

This monumental five-day auction offers an astounding array of fine and decorative art items, paintings and life-size bronze and marble sculptures to memorabilia from Jackson's life and career. The auction also includes amusements, arcade games, Disneyana, entertainment memorabilia and garden statuary furniture from Jackson's personal collection with a portion of the proceeds benefiting MusiCares ... a charity of The Recording Academy.

Auction Network will broadcast the auction live on national television and stream video of the auction online providing fans all over the world a front-row seat to watch and bid in real time on the items up for sale.

Jackson began his assent to the zenith of international pop culture in the 1970s as the stand-out member of the Jackson 5. His aspirations for success as a solo artist would be realized beyond anyone's wildest imagination in the following decade with the release of his albums Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad. His altruistic personality and undeniable musical talent proved him capable of reinventing everything from music industry conventions to age-old racial barriers, becoming the first black entertainer to be embraced by the new crossover audience of the MTV generation. “The King of Pop” became one of the defining aspects of 1980s popular culture. His highly acclaimed, extravagant worldwide tours propelled him into the international spotlight, earning him recognition and respect from millions of fans around the world. Jackson's innovations reach far beyond his groundbreaking musical aesthetic extending from short film to high fashion and influencing countless generations to come.

Neverland Ranch is named after Peter Pan's magical island whose youthful inhabitants never grow up and was created in 1988 when Jackson purchased the 2,700-acre property in central California's wine country.

Neverland became an awe-inspiring wonderland containing larger-than-life superheroes, a custom made horse-drawn carriage and antique automobile replicas, top-tier 19th century paintings and sculpture, exquisite furniture and fine art, renowned international awards and Jackson's iconic concert costumes.

Jackson was an enthusiastic and avid collector of everything from exquisite antiques to prized entertainment and popular culture memorabilia.

Beginning Feb. 15, 2009, bidders will be able to place proxy bids, register for the auction and explore the history of the more than 2,000 lots in this historic auction by visiting juliensauctions.com and auctionnetwork.com.

Registering to Bid
Registration is required to bid in this live auction and can be done either in person at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., or by visiting the Julien's Auction registration page before the sale or by calling 310.816.1818. Online bidding registration can be completed via Auction Network.

Placing Bids
There are four ways to bid in this sale:
* Place bids in the room by attending the auction in person
* Bid over the telephone through an auction house representative, who sits in the room and conveys the bid to the auctioneer
* Enter absentee bids. Absentee bid forms are printed in the back of each catalogue, and are also available by calling Julien's Auctions or online.   
* Proxy and live interactive bidding prior to and during the auction is available online through Auction Network.

Exhibition Schedule:
Tuesday, April 14 – Monday, April 20
Open daily to the public (1pE/10aP - 9pE/6pP)

Auction Schedule:
Tuesday, April 21 – Saturday, April 25
Auctions begins daily at NoonE/9aP

Auction Inquiries:
Phone: 310-836-1818
Fax: 310-827-2125
 

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Nov. 14, 2008) — In 1919, the world’s most famous actor, Douglas Fairbanks, purchased 18 acres outside of Hollywood in a little-known, undeveloped area called Beverly Hills.

The next year, he married the world’s most famous actress, Mark Pickford.

Working together, Doug and Mary renovated the rustic lodge on this large parcel of land and out of their effort and love, one of the most famous residences in the world, dubbed Pickfair, was born.

This incredible home for Hollywood royalty included amenities like no other. Pickfair featured a projection room to view the couple’s latest films, a western-themed bar to display Doug’s props and costumes, a room housing the couple’s collection of Asian art, accommodations for servants and a pool house for the first residential pool built in the Los Angeles area.

Pickfair was decorated by several designers throughout the years including Marjorie Requa, Harriet R. Shellenberger and Tony Durquette. The designers’ work and couple’s sensibilities created a hub of social life in Los Angeles. Royalty, presidents, artists, authors, inventors, actors and athletes all coveted an invitation to Pickfair to be entertained by the most famous couple in the world. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Pearl S. Buck and Charlie Chaplin were among the scores of honored guests.

After the dissolution of their 16-year marriage in 1936, “America’s Sweetheart” married “America’s Boyfriend” Charles “Buddy” Rogers in 1937. The couple was visited often by her stepson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Upon Mary’s death in 1979, after 42 years of marriage, Buddy built Pickfair Lodge on the property of Pickfair and moved many of the beautiful furnishings and memorabilia to his new home, thus preserving the memories for future generations.

The personality of Pickfair was shaped by those who lived there and the many famous guests who visited. While Pickfair no longer stands as it was, the memory of its majesty and the history of what it held lives on.

Pickfair Estate Auction: They were the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes of early 1900s Hollywood. Now you can own one of more than 700 pieces of fine art, furnishings and jewelry that graced the home, dubbed “Pickfair, owned by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.  

This amazing two-day auction, conducted by Julien’s Auctions, and broadcast live on Auction Network (auctionnetwork.com) will be held at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23, starting at 10am/8c both days.

Pickford was known as “America’s Sweetheart” during Hollywood’s Golden Age of silent films. Dinners there were legendary with guests including Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

Some of the storied and exotic items from Pickfair up for bid include rare artworks such as two oil-on-canvas still life paintings by Paul de Longpre and Philip Mercier.

If you can’t make it to Los Angeles for this event, you can get a front-row seat on the Auction Network. Be sure to register now for this event. It’s free, and easy to Watch, Bid, and Win on Auction Network!

To register for this auction, click here.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Nov. 13, 2008) — Pickfair in the 1920s was the social focal point for not only Hollywood celebrities, but for the world’s nobility and notable personalities. Pickfair was referred to as the West Coast White House. An invitation to Pickfair meant you had arrived in the closed social community of Hollywood.

If Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford were Hollywood royalty, then this was their court, where they accepted visits from fellow actors and actresses as well as the most interesting minds of the day.

Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Charles Lindbergh and The Duke and Duchess of Windsor all visited the fabled Pickfair.

A dinner could include Einstein, who used the flatware to explain his theory of relativity, a discussion of world politics with a prince, or the rehashing of Hollywood gossip with Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. The table was always set for a crowd, and dinner was a multi-course affair.

Lot 275 features an international silver Trianon monogrammed sterling flatware set. Comprised of 131 pieces, the setting is monogrammed “DMF” and weighs approximately 140 troy ounces.

Between lot 272 (Victoria Elkington Epergne centerpiece) and lot 323 (sterling silver Alvin bowl stand), you’ll find plenty of opportunities to grab glasses, cups, tankards, coffee services, decorative utensils and presentation plates that were used during the entertaining at Pickfair.

Fairbanks was known to invite guests to dinner at the last minute so those attending never knew with whom they may be dining.

Pickfair Estate Auction: They were the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes of early 1900s Hollywood. Now you can own one of more than 700 pieces of fine art, furnishings and jewelry that graced the home, dubbed “Pickfair, owned by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.  

This amazing two-day auction, conducted by Julien’s Auctions, and broadcast live on Auction Network (auctionnetwork.com) will be held at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23, starting at 10am/8c both days.

Pickford was known as “America’s Sweetheart” during Hollywood’s Golden Age of silent films. Dinners there were legendary with guests including Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

Some of the storied and exotic items from Pickfair up for bid include rare artworks such as two oil-on-canvas still life paintings by Paul de Longpre and Philip Mercier.

If you can’t make it to Los Angeles for this event, you can get a front-row seat on the Auction Network. Be sure to register now for this event. It’s free, and easy to Watch, Bid, and Win on Auction Network!

To register for this auction, click here.

LOS ANGELES (Jill Serjeant/Reuters) — H.G. Wells wrote that Mary Pickford was "his life-long devotion," Thomas Edison dedicated his entry to "the sweetheart of the Americas," and Benito Mussolini simply signed his name and the date, May 10, 1926.

More than 120 famous names from 1926 to 1981 signed the silent film star's personal autograph book, which is among more than 750 lots from the Pickford estate going up for auction for the first time in November.

"These books contain the Who's Who of the 1920s and 1930s," auctioneer Darren Julien said of the autograph book and two leatherbound guest books signed by visitors to the Pickfair mansion in Beverly Hills shared by the Canadian-born Pickford and actor Douglas Fairbanks.

The autograph book, which also includes dedications from playwright George Bernard Shaw, aviator Amelia Earhart, U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower, and automaker Henry Ford, carries a pre-sale estimate of between $6,000 and $8,000 U.S.

However, Mr. Julien said he thought the book could fetch five times that much at the Nov. 22-23 auction.

"These people came to Pickfair, and, when Mary travelled, she would take the book with her to get autographed. Those books are probably the most valuable and rare autograph books that I've ever seen come up for auction," he said.

He said that in 2006, a collection of 20 love letters written by Fairbanks to Pickford were sold for almost $30,000.

Dinnerware from parties thrown by the Hollywood couple for royalty and the leading minds of the times are also up for sale, along with paintings that graced the walls of Pickfair, furniture, photos and jewelry.

Mr. Julien said the auction contained the biggest collection to date from the Pickfair estate, where the screen star of Hollywood's Golden Age lived with Fairbanks and, later, her third husband, musician Buddy Rogers, for more than 50 years before her death in 1979.

The Pickfair estate, which has changed hands several times since Pickford's death and was rebuilt in the 1990s, was put up for sale in September with a $60 million asking price.

The items in the November auction come from the collection of Buddy Rogers, which was passed to his heirs. It is expected to raise a total of $400,000-$600,000.

Pickfair Estate Auction: They were the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes of early 1900s Hollywood. Now you can own one of more than 700 pieces of fine art, furnishings and jewelry that graced the home, dubbed “Pickfair, owned by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.  

This amazing two-day auction, conducted by Julien’s Auctions, and broadcast live on Auction Network (auctionnetwork.com) will be held at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23, starting at 10am/8c both days.

Pickford was known as “America’s Sweetheart” during Hollywood’s Golden Age of silent films. Dinners there were legendary with guests including Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

Some of the storied and exotic items from Pickfair up for bid include rare artworks such as two oil-on-canvas still life paintings by Paul de Longpre’ and Philip Mercier.

If you can’t make it to Los Angeles for this event, you can get a front-row seat on the Auction Network. Be sure to register now for this event. It’s free, and easy to Watch, Bid, and Win on Auction Network!

To register for this auction, click here.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Oct. 17, 2008) — Born in the United Kingdom, Bob Hope immigrated to the United States during his childhood and immediately fell in love with American baseball and football. At 16, he briefly boxed as a lightweight under the name Packy East when his friend Whitey had taken Packy West.

However, it was golf that was Hope’s ultimate passion, so much so that he often said, "Golf is my profession. Show business is just to pay the green fees."

The 200-plus lots of signed footballs, basketballs, baseballs, putters, markers, tees, shoes and hats (some that would make Elton John blush), clothing and fishing equipment in session two of the Hope estate auction, plus clubs and mounted fish in session four, reveal Hope as a lifelong avid sportsman.

The vast majority of clubs in the sale are putters, mostly gifts from friends such as Ted Weiner and Bob Goldwater, or pros who were also club makers, such a Toney Penna and Otey Crisman or as thank yous from fundraising organizations such as Cornell’s Phi Delta Epsilon medical fraternity.

Raised in Cleveland and after he became a star, Hope bought part of the Cleveland Indians from 1947-58, just in time to see them win the championship in 1948 and make it back to the World Series in 1954.

Hope's four decades of NBC Christmas specials were highlighted by his introductions of the Associated Press All-America college football players. Hope would meet each of the players on the stage, introduce them individually, and tell a joke about them. He also made time to see games during his travels, especially during his college campus tours from the 1960s-80s.

But golf was the ultimate obsession.

In 1930, when Hope first started playing golf, clubs were still hickory shafted and called colorful names as “brassie,” “mashie,” and “niblick.” There were no pro-ams.

In six decades of playing, Hope estimated that he “had three-putted on more than 2,000 courses worldwide.” At his best, coached by pro legend Ben Hogan, his handicap was down to a 4 and over the years Hope scored five holes-in-one, one of which may be lot 220; unfortunately the ink has faded so that the writing is illegible.

The course was his personal playground, where he played with 11 presidents, royalty, as well athletes from all sports, celebrities and the wealthy.

"It's wonderful how you can start out with three strangers in the morning, play 18 holes, and by the time the day is over you have three solid enemies," Hope once quipped.

Among his favorites (besides Crosby, with whom he played many rounds in fundraisers) were Arnold Palmer and Jerry Ford, to whom he devoted an entire chapter in Confessions of a Hooker – My Lifelong Love Affair with Golf, calling President Ford, "the man who made golf a contact sport" with his frequent errant shots into the gallery at the Desert Classic.

In 1965, Hope found a way to get all of his friends together when he lent his name to Bob Hope Chrysler (Desert) Classic. Held every January, the unique five-day, 90-hole event was played over five golf courses. The $5 million purse draws the tour's largest field with 136 pros and three times as many amateurs, including names like Michael Bolton, Mark Wahlberg and Samuel L. Jackson.

"The Classic is the only event in the world where guys can get money out of the desert without drilling for oil," he once said. It has also raised more than $35 million for the Eisenhower Medical Center and 70 other area charities.

Hope was honored repeatedly for his humanitarian work related to golf, including a plaque featuring a profile of Hope at the World Golf Hall of Fame, which reads: "Known by his nose, applauded for his humor, envied for his wit and loved by millions for his unselfish concern for all beings, Bob Hope is truly a one-of-a-kind. He popularized golf to the unknowing, sponsored it for charity and played it for fun. Not a golf champion, but a great champion of golf."

Behind the Byline: Through her auctions at Sotheby's and her own business, collectibles specialist Leila Dunbar has rumaged through the closets, attics and cellars of some of the most famous entertainers and athletes ever, including Katharine Hepburn, Johhny Cash, Cher, Wilt Chamberlain and Billy Martin selling more than $75 million in memorabilia. Currently Leila, when she is not doing color commentary for Auction Network, handles appraisals, consults with private clients and institutions, and offers management and auctioneering services for all types of collectibles. Like Hope, Leila grew up a sports fan, rooting for her native Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins. Also, like Hope, Leila fell in love with golf, and has three-putted at historic courses such as Merion and Pinehurst. Leila can be reached at leiladunbar@aol.com.

Bob Hope Estate Auction: Collector and museum quality items from the life, career and estate of the legendary Bob Hope will be sold during a live televised and real-time online auction presented by the Auction Network (auctionnetwork.com) on Oct. 18-19, 2008 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Proceeds from this auction will benefit the Bob and Dolores Hope Charitable Foundation. Hope's extraordinary career spanned Vaudeville, Broadway, radio, television and film, and his numerous USO tours to entertain U.S. military troops earned him the admiration of generations of fans around the world.

Highlights include: a one page letter dated October 23, 1943 from Bette Davis to Hope; a red and white feathered Indian headdress worn by Hope on the cover of Life Magazine on May 11, 1962; a Movado watch inscribed "To Bob Hope in sincere appreciation — The Cleveland Press Christmas Show 1944"; and a turquoise western suit made by Nudies of North Hollywood and worn by Hope on several television shows including Barbara Mandrell, Mandrell Sisters Show and Ann Margaret Rhinestone Special.  

To register for this auction, click here.