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.



Kendrick Lamar Surprises with New Album 'GNX'

FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
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Kendrick Lamar Surprises with New Album 'GNX'

FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present Friday with the surprise drop of a new album.

The Grammy winner's 12-track “GNX” is his first release since 2022's “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” and his sixth studio album overall. It also comes just months after his rap battle with Drake.

Lamar first teased the album with a cover art and video snippet of “GNX,” which features multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff as a co-producer on every track except for “Peekaboo.” Other notable producers include Sounwave and DJ Mustard, who both contributed production on the hit “Not Like Us,” the ubiquitous diss track emanating from the Drake feud.

Lamar's former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate SZA appears on a couple songs including “Gloria” and “Luther,” which also features sampled vocals from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn through “If This World Were Mine."
On the opening track “Wacced Out Murals,” Lamar raps about cruising in his Buick GNX (Grand National Experimental) car with listening to Anita Baker. He brings up Snoop Dogg posting Drake's AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss track on social media and Nas congratulating Lamar for being selected to headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans.
Lamar also shows admiration for Lil Wayne, who expressed his hurt feelings after being passed over as the headliner in his hometown.
Lamar, 37, has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.”
The surprise release caps a big year for Lamar, who was featured on the song “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin — a track that spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year.
Lamar is up for seven Grammys, fueled by “Not Like Us,” which earned nods for record and song of the year, rap song, music video as well as best rap performance. He has two simultaneous entries in the latter category, a career first: “Like That” is up for best rap performance and best rap song, too.