$430,000
Michael Jackson’s glove from his 1983 performance of Billie Jean at the Motown 25 television special where he performed the Moonwalk for the first time. This glove is made using a cream leather, off-the-rack golf glove with an interior label reading “Made In Korea.” The glove has a Velcro flap on the back of the hand, which allows the wearer to adjust the fit, and a single white snap at the back of the wrist. The glove does not feature the more characteristic hand sewn crystals, but uses instead a mesh web of faceted rhinestones, hand cut to the shape of the glove. These strips of rhinestones have been whip stitched to the back of the glove. There are no rhinestones on the palm of the glove. The glove comes from Walter “Clyde” Orange one of the founding members of the Commodores. Orange has written a letter which accompanies this lot explaining that: “I Walter “Clyde” Orange, a founding member of the Commodores, knew Michael Jackson and his family from the first time the Commodores toured with the Jackson 5 as their opening act in the summer of 1971. We played forty U.S. concerts with them, traveling coast to coast with the Jackson family on this and subsequent tours. At that time, and in the years to follow, Michael and I had a long running joke when we would see one another. In his humble way, he refused to give me his autograph, saying that I was more famous than he was. He never did give me his autograph. Years later, in 1983, we both performed at the Motown 25: Yesterday
Auctioneer:
Juliens Auctions
Date:
2009-11-21
