Michael Jackson’s iconic black “Bad” jacket, which he wore on his first solo tour, was sold for US$298,000 late on Saturday, about three times its original asking price, at a New York auction which featured items from music legends Prince, Madonna, John Lennon and others, officials announced. Julien’s Auctions had an original asking price of US$100,000 for the jacket that Jackson signed on the back with a silver permanent marker and was worn throughout the singer’s “Bad” world concert tour from 1987-89.

It is one of the late singer’s most iconic costume pieces alongside his red and black leather “Thriller” music video jacket that sold for US$1.8 million at an auction in 2011.

Jackson has become one of the most collectible celebrities since his sudden death in 2009 in Los Angeles at age 50 from an accidental overdose of an anaesthetic* he was using as a sleep aid. The “Bad” jacket was sold by Texas businessman and philanthropist* Milton Verret along with almost 100 other items from his large rock and roll memorabilia collection.

The Icons & Idols: Rock-N-Roll auction, which announced the results of the two-day auction late on Saturday, also featured electric guitars played by Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and U2 band members The Edge and Bono.

A guitar Prince used in his final stage performance in 2016 was sold for US$156,250 and his motorcycle jacket he wore in the 1984 movie “Purple Rain” was sold for US$37,500, an official said.

Part of the auction proceeds will go to the MusicCares charity arm of Grammy Award organizers the Recording Academy that provides health and other services to musicians.

(SD-Agencies)