
Whitney Houston World Music Awards 1994 – P 2012
Getty ImagesIt’s been barely a day since Whitney Houston‘s funeral, and already her items are heading to the auction block.
An assortment of Houston collectibles — a black velvet dress and a vest and earrings she wore in The Bodyguard — will go up for sale on March 31 and April 1 through Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif. A free exhibition will be open to the public starting March 19, with Houston’s lots included among other memorabilia such as Charlie Chaplin‘s cane, as part of a “Hollywood Legends” auction.
“It’s a celebration of her life,” Darren Julien told The Associated Press. “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.”
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Her high-necked, bejeweled black gown is listed at $1,000, while her Bodyguard vest and earrings are valued at $400 and $600, respectively; but each item is expected to fetch much more than the listing price.
Houston, who died Feb. 11 at the age of 48, was buried Sunday in a private, family-only ceremony in Westfield, N.J. The day before, a massive, star-studded celebration took place at her childhood church in Newark, attracting such guests as Tyler Perry, Stevie Wonder, Kevin Costner, Oprah Winfrey and mentor Clive Davis.