Fanatics of the late Michael Jackson: time to loosen up your purse strings. The legendary singer’s red-and-black calf leather “Thriller” jacket is going under the hammer in a music memorabilia auction to be held June 25 and 26 in Beverly Hills. Autographed and given as a gift to Jackson’s long-time costume designers Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush, “To Bush and Dennis, All My Love, Michael Jackson” is inscribed on the inside lining of the jacket, with the sleeve also signed “Love Michael Jackson”.
While the starting bid sits at $100,000, Julien’s Auction Gallery expects the jacket to go for $200,000 to $400,000. A portion of the proceeds will go to Shambala Preserve, where Jackson’s Benegal tigers, Sabu and (of course) Thriller have been living since 2006.
The significance of the “Thriller” jacket lies not only in its owner – though that would still have fetched a handsome amount no doubt – but also because it was featured in the world’s first music video to mash filmmaking with music. Yes guys, the 14-minute music video was a breakthrough in the days – 1983 to be precise – when MVs have no story lines whatsoever. In recognition of its ‘cultural, historical and aesthetic’ significance, it became the first music video to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2009.
(Source: LA Times)
