Julien’s Auctions has announced the preeminent headliners of “Icons & Idols: Rock ‘N’ Roll”, the world-record breaking auction house to the stars’ annual music event of the season on Friday, November 19 and Saturday, November 20, 2021 live in Hard Rock Cafe New York and online at juliensauctions.com. Nearly 1,000 sensational artifacts and memorabilia owned and used by some of the world’s legendary music artists of all time, including THE BEATLES, GUNS N’ ROSES, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Robert Plant, Elvis Presley, Trent Reznor, Keith Richards, Eddie Van Halen, U2, and more will be offered.

Hard rock and metal fans will bang their heads to the appearances of the original artwork for the cover of the 1983 QUIET RIOT album “Metal Health” hand-painted by Stan Watts ($20,000 – 40,000), and the original metal “asylum” mask that Watts wore to create the iconic image ($8,000 – 10,000).

Items from the world’s most dangerous band, GUNS N’ ROSES, will also rock the auction stage including the 1989 MTV VMA Moonman presented to the band for “Best Heavy Metal Video” for “Sweet Child O’ Mine” ($10,000 – $20,000), a satin printed GUNS N’ ROSES after show pass signed by the band members, black Tama kick drum skins stage used by Steven Adler during GN’R‘s “Appetite For Destruction” 1988 tour and signed by the band and more.

One of the most epic rock classics ever recorded by one of rock’s seminal bands, “Kashmir” is LED ZEPPELIN‘s sonic masterpiece, along with “Stairway To Heaven” and “Whole Lotta Love”. Handwritten lyrics of the song by lead singer Robert Plant on a sheet of The Whitehall Hotel letterhead stationery will be offered with an estimate of $200,000 – $300,000. The lyrics are a rendition for a live performance of the song with some differences from the recorded version released on their 1976 album “Pink Graffiti”.

Another rock iconoclast and now auction legend whose original artwork and handwritten ephemera are coveted as much as his instruments and memorabilia is one of rock and roll’s most signature artists of all time: Kurt Cobain. An illustration drawn in ballpoint pen on a sheet of notebook paper by the NIRVANA frontman depicting many faces and eyes and a flower signed by Cobain in the bottom right corner as “Kurdt Kobain” will be on offer. The drawing (estimate: $10,000 – $20,000) was previously on display at the Museum Of Pop Culture “Nirvana: Taking Punk To The Masses” exhibit in Seattle.

Other handwritten and drawn items include (each estimate: $4,000 – $6,000): a white tablecloth with a handwritten setlist of NIRVANA songs, “Teen Spirit”, “About A Girl” and “Come As You Are” and signed by Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and others; a handwritten setlist by Kurt Cobain on Sheffield University Students’ Union stationery, where the band performed the night before and a ticket to a NIRVANA performance at Calton Studios in Edinburgh, Scotland, on December 29, 1991; and a handwritten and signed setlist by Kurt Cobain from a concert at the East Ballroom of the University of Washington in Seattle on January 6, 1990 that includes the songs “Polly” and “Love Buzz”.

Other NIRVANA/Kurt Cobain items up for bid include “Illiteracy Will Prevail” from FECAL MATTER — the 1985 punk rock band formed by Kurt Cobain, Dale Drover (of the MELVINS) and drummer Greg Hokanson. The demo project on cassette features 17 unreleased tracks with notable demos that were later re-recorded and released under NIRVANA, including the song “Downer” which was later released on NIRVANA‘s album “Bleach” (estimate: $3,000 – $5,000), a color photograph of Cobain at 15 years old in a snowy winter background, a signed NIRVANA concert ticket, signed denim vest and jacket and more.

Julien’s Auctions has shattered original estimates and broken world records with the sale of Kurt Cobain‘s memorabilia and artwork, including: Cobain‘s cardigan worn on “MTV Unplugged In New York” (sold for a record $334,000), his “In Utero” tour Fender Mustang guitar (sold for $340,000), his cardigan worn on his last photoshoot (sold for $75,000), a NIRVANA paper plate setlist written in Cobain‘s handwriting which sold for a record $22,400; a self-portrait caricature drawing by Cobain of himself playing guitar signed “Kurdt Kobain Rock Star” (sold for over $281,000) and the Guinness Book Of World Record sale of Cobain‘s “MTV Unplugged” 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic-electric guitar, which sold for $6 million making it the world’s most expensive guitar ever sold at auction.

Other exceptional highlights include: Keith Richards‘s red with gold embroidery and rhinestone cropped jacket worn on the “Get Yer Yas-Yas Out” album, as well as on stage during the infamous Altamont concert, where an audience member was stabbed to death by the Hell’s Angels, and was featured in the Maysles Brothers documentary film “Gimme Shelter” ($8,000 – $12,000); U2 guitarist Edge‘s concert used Gibson Les Paul Standard electric guitar ($50,000 – $70,000); Jim Croce‘s Martin D-21 guitar ($40,000 – $60,000); an EVH Fender “Frankenstrat” guitar stage played by Eddie Van Halen signed by him and his brother Alex Van Halen, consisting of a guitar strap attached to screw eyes, bicycle reflectors on the back used to reflect the stage lights, five VAN HALEN 2012 guitar picks taped on the body and an image of Eddie printed on metal (the guitar was gifted to Kevan Hill, a childhood friend and first band mate of Eddie and Alex Van Halen in their first band, BROKEN COMBS, in 1964) ($30,000 – $50,000); a custom-made black 2007 Gretsch drum kit played by drummer Taylor Hawkins for FOO FIGHTERS accompanied by two FOO FIGHTERS Wembley Stadium fleece zip up sweaters, a backstage pass, two guitar picks and a pillow ($40,000 – $60,000).

“Julien’s Auctions is honored to present this extraordinary collection of historic and important music relics used by the pantheon of rock gods and pop music icons from the 20th century and 21st century at our annual two-day music event of the year,” said Darren Julien, president/chief executive officer of Julien’s Auctions. “The breadth and scope of these museum worthy collectibles represent not only the pinnacle of these legendary figures’ careers and their mythic performances but the impact of their artistry and the lives they lived on and off the stage that changed not only music but the world.”