Julien’s Auctions will present some different “lots” than the ones to which Grateful Dead fans are accustomed at the MusiCares Charity Relief Auction. Set to take place at The Recording Academy in Santa Monica the morning of the Grammy Awards on February 2nd, the benefit auction will sell off unique pieces of Grateful Dead history as well as instruments, outfits, and items donated by Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, Coldplay, Stevie Nicks, Metallica, and more.
Among the most eye-catching Dead-related items on the docket is the iconic white suit that Jerry Garcia wore on the cover of the Dead’s controversial 1980 studio album, Go To Heaven. The hand-tailored, single-breasted wool gabardine suit, monogrammed with the guitarist’s initials, is expected to fetch between $10,000 and $20,000. As of publication time, bids on that lot have reached $8,000. Also for sale is the ultimate experience for any devoted Deadhead, a private tour of the Grateful Dead tape vault for two hosted by Rhino Entertainment president Mark Pinkus. The winning bidder will get exclusive access to the 15,000 audio recordings, 3,000 video tapes, and nearly a quarter million feet of 16mm film stored in the Dead’s climate-controlled facility. Ahead of the tour, Dead archivist David Lemieux will speak to the winner and share his vast knowledge of the vault and its contents. The tour is valued between $1,000–$2,000. It has not yet received any bids.
Other Grateful Dead items up for grabs include a Bob Weir-owned, played, and signed D’Angelico deluxe custom guitar with a Vox AC15HW Amp and pedalboard; Bill Kreutzmann‘s timbale and cymbal; an array of Mickey Hart art; test pressings of classic Dead albums including Wake of the Flood and Without A Net signed by Lemieux; a limited edition 50th-anniversary CD box set of 30 Trips Around the Sun; McIntosh speakers; and more.
Beyond the Grateful Dead universe, the MusiCares Charity Relief Auction hosts an impressive collection of rare memorabilia from some of music’s biggest acts. Fans can bid on signed guitars played by Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Slash, Olivia Rodrigo, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Dave Grohl, and Metallica’s James Hetfield, in addition to signature-covered axes signed by Paul McCartney, Snoop Dogg, Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile, and Bon Jovi or Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Black, Wolfgang Van Halen, Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, Billy Idol, and others.
If you’re in the market for a nylon jumpsuit worn by Dolly Parton at the 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year Gala and have $2,000–$3,000 to spare, you’re in luck. Or, if you’ve ever wanted one of Jack Black’s Tenacious D tie-dyed shirts, Stevie Nicks‘ feathered hat from Saturday Night Live, a Ringo Starr peace t-shirt, or outfits worn by K-pop sensations SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and NewJeans, now is your chance. Other one-of-a-kind items up for auction include a lyric book signed by Paul McCartney paired with a tour of Abbey Road Studios with producer Giles Martin (currently going for $20,000), a signed portrait painting of late producing giant Quincy Jones, Chris Martin‘s handwritten setlist for Coldplay’s 2024 concert at Dublin’s Croke Park, and more.
Bid on these items and many others in the MusiCares Charity Relief Auction here through February 2nd. All proceeds from the auction will benefit MusiCares in its mission to “provide the music community a support system of health and human services across a spectrum of needs including physical and mental health, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief.”
This auction will accompany the Recording Academy’s tribute to the Grateful Dead as MusiCares 2025 Persons of the Year. On January 31st, the Academy’s charitable arm will celebrate the groundbreaking ’60s psychedelic juggernauts with a star-studded tribute concert featuring performances by latter-day Dead offshoot Dead & Company, a duo performance by Dave Matthews and John Mayer, Billy Strings, Mick Fleetwood, My Morning Jacket, Lukas Nelson, Stewart Copeland, and more in L.A.