James Brown memorabilia going up for auction

Hundreds of the late "Godfather of Soul" James Brown's instruments, awards and stage costumes will go under the hammer in New York next month, Christie's auction house said Tuesday.

The lot of 320 items being auctioned July 17 includes a wide range of memorabilia, from letters to a moon-shaped couch and a black cape emblazoned with the R & B legend's name, valued between 15,000 and 20,000 dollars.

Other items include the jeans outfit Brown wore before the historic boxing match between Mohammed Ali and George Foreman in Zaire in 1974, valued between 5,000 and 7,000 dollars.

The auction will also sell a 1986 Grammy Award won by Brown, and the musician's Yamaha piano, each valued between 15,000 and 20,000 dollars.

Brown, a musical giant known for his energetic stage presence and funk hits such as "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," died in December 2006 at age 73.