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Family row over George Michael items up for auction - including Faith guitar

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In short

The 32-lot collection being sold through auction house Sworders features rare Wham! and George Michael artifacts accumulated over Bailey's 20-year career. Her brother, Gerard Bailey, has called the auction dishonourable and petitioned organizers to cancel it or remove his sister's name from promotional materials. He contends she drafted an unregistered will leaving the assets to nieces and nephews, but estranged husband Ian Belcher holds legal ownership. Among the items offered is Bailey's annotated 1988 tour Filofax alongside various sales-milestone gold and platinum discs.

Key points

  • Ian Belcher holds the unchallenged legal right to sell the collection because the couple…: Ian Belcher holds the unchallenged legal right to sell the collection because the couple never finalized their divorce.
  • Gerard Bailey maintains his late sister drafted an unregistered will intending the items…: Gerard Bailey maintains his late sister drafted an unregistered will intending the items for her nieces and nephews.
  • Both the auction house Sworders and seller Ian Belcher have declined to comment on the fa…: Both the auction house Sworders and seller Ian Belcher have declined to comment on the family's objections.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

A family row has broken out over an auction of George Michael memorabilia taking place on Thursday.

The guitar played by the singer-songwriter in the Faith music video is one of several items being auctioned by Sworders from the collection of Siobhan Bailey, Michael's long-time personal assistant.

Siobhan died in 2014 and the items are being sold by her estranged husband Ian Belcher, who inherited them after her death.

Gerard Bailey, Siobhan's brother, told the BBC she "would be horrified at the prospect of the auction being held in her name and that her personal, cherished possessions are being sold off to the highest bidder". Both Sworders and Belcher declined to comment.

Sworders describes the 32 lots as a "remarkable group of memorabilia from the collection of Siobhan Bailey, George Michael's long-time personal assistant and trusted confidante".

Michael grew up in Hertfordshire and shot to fame alongside Andrew Ridgeley in pop duo Wham! He went on to enjoy solo success with hits such as Faith, Careless Whisper, Father Figure, Outside and Fastlove. He died in 2016.

'Dishonourable and…

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