A family quarrel has flared over the planned auction of George Michael memorabilia, notably the guitar that features in the Faith video.
Sworders auctioneers are putting up thirty-two items from the late singer’s keepsakes, described as belonging to Siobhan Bailey, for auction on Thursday.
Bailey, Michael’s long-time personal assistant for two decades, passed away in 2014, and the items were subsequently inherited by her estranged husband, Ian Belcher, following her death.
Her brother Gerard told BBC News on Thursday that she “would be horrified at the prospect of the auction being held in her name and that her personal, cherished possessions are being sold off to the highest bidder”.
Among the pieces to be sold is the Gretsch Synchromatic acoustic guitar that Michael played in the 1987 Faith video. The instrument, gifted to Bailey, carries a guide price estimated at between $80,000 (£60,000) and $160,000 (£120,000).
Other lots include a Filofax from the 1988 Faith tour containing Bailey’s handwritten notes, an officially signed Wham! photograph, a note written “with love and admiration” from Michael and his Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley, and an invitation to Ridgeley’s 21st birthday celebration.
Bailey died suddenly and unexpectedly of natural causes in 2014 at the age of 56. She did not leave a will, so her estate legally passed to Belcher, despite the couple’s ongoing divorce proceedings.
According to Gerard, his sister had begun drafting a will before her death and planned to leave the memorabilia to her nieces and nephews. The will was not registered.
In a letter to the auction house, Gerard said the rest of the family regards the auction as a “breach of (Bailey’s) privacy” and insisted that using her name in connection with the sale was “disingenuous”, “wholly unethical” and “frankly dishonourable”.
He asked for the auction to be cancelled, or at least proceed under Belcher’s name rather than Bailey’s.
Speaking to BBC News, Gerard said the auction “breaks my heart” because his late sister “would never have consented” to selling the memorabilia. He also accused Belcher of waiting “twelve years after my sister’s death to cash in”.
The Faith & Fame: A Personal George Michael Collection auction remains scheduled to take place at 2pm on Thursday, according to the Sworders website.
Michael died in 2016 at the age of 53.
