Elvis Presley's Hair Auction Prompts Lawsuit

The highest priced paid at the auction for a single Elvis Presley item was $62,800 for a cream collared cotton shirt with the monogram EP that came with a magazine showing the King wearing either the same shirt or one that is similar. A red ultrasuede shirt that was also believed to have been worn by Elvis sold for $34,000.

John Tate and Norma Deeble are cousins of Elvis Presley's good friend Gary Pepper. They allege that Nancy Pease Whitehead took Presley's hair, some clothing and other things that had belonged to Gary Pepper until they read last week about the planned auction. Whitehead was Mr. Pepper's caretaker before his death.

Elvis Aaron Presley, born January 8, 1935, was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King. He died at the age of 42 on August 16, 1977 presumably from health problems, prescription drug dependence, and other factors.

The auction house said the hair was given to Pepper to mail to Presley fans. No DNA test was carried out on the hair but the auctioneer quoted "an expert in celebrity hair authentication," John Reznikoff, saying it matched the Elvis hair he has in his collection.

Whether it was really Elvis' hair or not, it fetched a hefty sum at the auction, as did the other Elvis Presley items. The $300K in total sales from the 200 items at the auction is now being held in escrow by Tate and Deeble's attorney until the lawsuit is resolved.

Cheryl Phillips
Exclusive to HULIQ.com

sources: Wikipedia, Reuters