Michael Jackson's estate has successfully prevented the auction of 'extremely rare and unreleased' recordings by the late singer, claiming the tapes were stolen. The auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll had planned to sell over two dozen master tapes, reportedly recorded at New York's The Hit Factory in 1994, with each expected to fetch up to $4,000.
Lawyers for the estate sent a cease-and-desist letter on 29 November, arguing that neither Jackson nor Sony Music Entertainment ever sold or gave away master tapes from those sessions. The letter, written by attorney Jonathan Steinsapir, stated: 'These tapes were unquestionably stolen or otherwise taken without authorization. Accordingly, they are the property of the Jackson Estate.'
Despite the auction house initially refusing to comply, the estate sought a temporary restraining order. By 13 December, the tapes had been removed from sale. Gotta Have Rock and Roll continues to sell other Jackson memorabilia, including a red military-style jacket estimated at over $10,000.
The tapes, labelled as 'artifact ONLY' with reproduction strictly prohibited, included tracks such as 'Oh Love', 'New Jelly' and 'Doing What My Heart'. Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50, remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 400 million records sold worldwide.
