Amy Winehouse's Last Concert Dress to Go Under the Hammer

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2007 file photo, British singer Amy Winehouse poses for a photograph at a studio in north London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2007 file photo, British singer Amy Winehouse poses for a photograph at a studio in north London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
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Amy Winehouse's Last Concert Dress to Go Under the Hammer

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2007 file photo, British singer Amy Winehouse poses for a photograph at a studio in north London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2007 file photo, British singer Amy Winehouse poses for a photograph at a studio in north London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

The dress that singer Amy Winehouse wore for her final performance will be auctioned this weekend in California, as part of a trove of memorabilia from the soul diva's life.

Winehouse wore the green and black bamboo print at a concert in Belgrade in 2011.

A month later, on July 23, she was dead from acute alcohol poisoning. She was 27.

Her tragic death was the culmination of a lengthy -- and often very public -- struggle with alcohol and drugs.

The dress is the highlight of an 800-item collection of personal effects, ranging from bras and DVDs to books and make-up that are being sold by Winehouse's parents Mitch and Janis.

"It took them a long time to actually come to terms and decide to let go," said Martin Nolan of auction house Julien's, which is managing the sale.

"Of course, there are fans and museums and collectors all over the world that will want to own some of these items, care for them, show them at museums, keep her legacy and her memory alive and at the same time raise some money for the foundation," he added.

The proceeds will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which supports vulnerable young adults battling addiction, AFP reported.

Multi-Grammy-winning Winehouse, whose seminal and intensely soulful 2006 album "Back to Black," is counted as a modern classic, often spoke of her personal experiences battling alcohol and drug addiction.

The short, green and black dress designed by Naomi Parry, is expected to sell for between $15,000 and $20,000.

"That's very iconic. But all of these dresses represent Amy -- fantastic musician, songwriter, but also a fashion icon," said Nolan.

Another highlight of the sale is the heart-shaped handbag custom-made for her by Moschino that Winehouse used at the 2007 Brit Awards.

The 400-plus-page catalogue put together by Julien's is a walk-through of the singer's influences and career, but also her distinctive retro style that made her a fashion icon.

Many of the dresses she wore in performances are valued between $5,000 and $7,000, while her earrings will start at $400. Her signature red lipstick is expected to fetch between $400 and $600.

The auction, in Beverly Hill, runs from Saturday to Sunday, and is forecast to raise around $2 million.



AARP to Honor Glenn Close with Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award

Glenn Close attends the premiere of the Apple TV+ series "The New Look" on Feb. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP)
Glenn Close attends the premiere of the Apple TV+ series "The New Look" on Feb. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP)
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AARP to Honor Glenn Close with Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award

Glenn Close attends the premiere of the Apple TV+ series "The New Look" on Feb. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP)
Glenn Close attends the premiere of the Apple TV+ series "The New Look" on Feb. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP)

Glenn Close will be the next recipient of AARP The Magazine’s Movies for Grownups Awards career achievement honor.

The 77-year-old actor is known for films including "Fatal Attraction,101 Dalmatians" and "The Wife" over a career spanning nearly 50 years. She will receive the honor at the AARP’s annual Movies for Grownups Awards ceremony in January, the group announced Tuesday.

"I am so honored to receive the AARP Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award even though I feel like I’m still 35, if not younger," Close said in a statement. "I love making movies for grownups and everyone else, and I deeply appreciate the inspiration and support of the people I have worked with over 50 years. Thank you, AARP, for this great honor."

The AARP launched the Movies for Grownups initiative in 2002 to advocate for audiences over 50 years old and to fight ageism in Hollywood. The awards ceremony that celebrates movies "for grownups, by grownups" will be held in Beverly Hills, California, on Jan. 11, with Alan Cumming to host. The ceremony will be broadcast by "Great Performances" on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. Eastern on PBS.

Martha Boudreau, AARP's executive vice president and chief communications and marketing officer, said Close has made her mark in the industry with memorable performances and her consistent work as a septuagenarian.

"Glenn Close starred in ‘The Big Chill,’ the first blockbuster hit film about the Baby Boomer generation facing aging, and since then her career has shattered Hollywood’s outmoded, ageist stereotypes. Her steady successes exemplify what AARP’s Movies for Grownups program is all about," Boudreau said in a statement.

Close joins the company of several revered actors who have received the honor in past years, including Jamie Lee Curtis, George Clooney and Lily Tomlin.