The coat that sealed Sandy's transformation into the iconic film is part of a major auction of Newton-John's estate
In “A Week of Hollywood Legends,” Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) are bidding off property from the estate of singer and actor Olivia Newton-John, including the black leather jacket Newton-John's Sandy rode off into the sky in with John Travolta's Danny in Grease. A portion of the proceeds will go towards the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, which supports plant medicine research for cancer. In August 2022, Newton-John died after a decades-long battle with breast cancer at the age of 73.
While the live auction event will take place in Los Angeles at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills on Dec. 13 at 10:00 am PST, contenders can also bid online in real time, over the telephone with an auction house representative, or in advance by absentee bid. Julien's expects the jacket to go for $80,000 to $10,000. It will include more than 400 personal and professional artifacts of Newton-John's, including music awards, IDs, furniture, jewelry, and art.
Starting Nov. 22, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville will host an exhibition of Newton-John's collection as well, where fans can enjoy the Grease leather and other treasures ahead of the auction.
In his remembrance of Newton-John after her death in 2022, Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield wrote, “No Seventies star had a weirder pop trajectory, going from the world's favorite Australian country singer to a brazen Eighties black-leather New Wave diva in just a few years. But Olivia could do it all: weepy ballads like “I Honestly Love You,” country twang like “Let Me Be There,” Fifties pastiche in Grease. Disco show tunes with Gene Kelly and ELO in Xanadu. Heavy-breathing rock odes to sex like “Magic” and “Make a Move on Me.” These are all reasons why we loved Olivia Newton-John.”
