TAX DOCUMENT REVEALS THAT GEORGE GERSHWIN GOT 60% AND IRA GERSHWIN RECEIVED 40% FROM THEIR COLLABORATIONS   GEORGE GERSHWIN and IRA GERSHWIN. Carbon Typed Document Signed: "George Gershwin" and "Ira Gershwin", 1p, 8½x13. Los Angeles, California, 1936 September 30. In part: "GEORGE GERSHWIN and IRA GERSHWIN each, being first duly sworn, deposes and says: That he is one of the parties to the written agreement dated July 29, 1936, executed by and between RKO STUDIOS, INC. and GEORGE GERSHWIN and IRA GERSHWIN, under the terms and conditions of which the said George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin are employed by the said RKO Studios, Inc. and under the terms and conditions of which the compensation payable to the said George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin is paid to them jointly, without any allocation between them. That under the terms and conditions of an agreement existing between the said George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin all compensation received by them read more...

FOR THE VICTOR TALKING MACHINE COMPANY'S RECORDING OF HIS 1929 PERFORMANCE OF AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, GERSHWIN RECEIVES ROYALTIES OF ONE CENT PER RECORD SOLD!   GEORGE GERSHWIN. Typed Document Signed: "George Gershwin", 1p, 8x10. No place, 1929 November 1. Headed: "Victor Talking Machine Company/Statement of Royalty Due on Selections by/George Gershwin". The statement is titled: "Sold by the Victor Talking Machine Company for period ending Sept. 30, 1929". Two different records were sold: An American in Paris - Parts 1 and 2 (8331 copies), $83.31 royalty and An American in Paris - Parts 3 and 4 (8327 copies), $83.27 royalty. Total: $166.58 royalty. Gershwin was paid royalties of a penny per copy! He has signed beneath this statement: "I accept the above statement of my royalty account for records of my performance in accordance with my contract dated March 13, 1929 and acknowledge the receipt of the amount for the period shown on said statement in full and final settlement of said account." An American in Paris, inspired by Gershwin's time spent in the read more...

BUDDY HOLLY He has signed his handwritten answers to a high school quiz, before he changed the spelling of his name! Autograph Manuscript signed: "Buddy Holley", 1 page, 8x10¼. Sheet of two-hole loose-leaf paper from his junior high or high school days in Lubbock, Texas. No date. The second page of a test graded with red pencil. Headed: "2". In full: "22. Hidalgo/23. nitrogen-humus/24. Pecan/25. Insurance-Retail trade-/Wholesale trade-manufacturing/26. Peanuts/27. Corn-Oats/28. Mineral water and salts/29. Federal Reserve Bank/30. Fourth/31.---/32. State capitol-Texas University/33.---/34. S.M.U. Southern Methodist University/35. T.C.U. Texas Christian University/36. Bal Baylor College/37. Price University University of Houston/38.---(Houston-University of Houston)/39.---(Houston-Baylor Medical College)/40.---(Houston-Texas School of Dentistry)". Number 22 ("Hidalgo") is marked wrong. #23 "nitrogen" is underlined, "humus" is circled, and "½" is written, probably giving half credit for the answer. Numbers 31 and 33 (no answers) are marked wrong. Born in 1936 in Lubbock, Texas, as Charles Hardin Holley, he became known as "Buddy". Holley attended J.T. Hutchinson Junior High in Lubbock. read more...

"MY ALBUM IS OUT AND A NEW SINGLE RECORD 'THREE CIG IN AN ASH-TRAY' THIS COMING MONDAY." PATSY CLINE Rare ALS: "Patsy", 5 pages, 5½x8¾, separate sheets. Winchester, Va., 1957 July 31. With original stamped envelope, sent by special delivery, addressed by Cline to: "Miss Treva Miller/Route #1/Telford, Tenn.", postmarked Winchester, Va., August 1, 1957. Signed at upper left: "Patsy Cline/Winc. Va." Torn right edge from opening. Creased and worn. Most probably penned by 24-year-old Patsy Cline from her 608 South Kent Street home to the President of her fan club. In part: "Well, I received your letter and I'm sorry I haven't written sooner, but I had to take a little rest & then I had to go to New York for the 'Big Beat' Show, which I don't know if you seen or not, last Fri. Then Aug 10th I'm on the Ozark Jubilee again. My Album is out and a new single record 'Three Cig In An Ash-Tray' this coming Monday. They are puting (sic) out an L.P. & and (sic) an E.P. you know 4 songs on a forty-five speed. So maybe we will have good luck of some sort of out of 13 songs. I sure hope so. Sure is a bad time of the year right now. read more...

JEAN SIBELIUS and IRVING BERLIN Framed Gallery of History display (35x25), including Berlin's signature on a card attached to a musical biography; and a typed letter signed by Sibelius in 1953, politely declining to answer the question of whether Berlin is "America's greatest composer". TLS: "Jean Sibelius" in English, 1 page, 6x8½. Järvenpää, 1953 June 4. To Cyril Clemens, President, The International Mark Twain Society. In full: "Many thanks for your latest letter with your account of my life and career. It was very well written, indeed, with much ability and sympathy. Please accept my cordial thanks for it. The article about Irving Berlin I have read with much interest. His works are indeed performed here very often. If he is America's greatest composer, is of course difficult to say. America has many prominent composers by now. It is almost impossible to say such a thing about any composer. With all my kindest regards". Mid-horizontal fold, not at signature. Fine condition. In this letter to Cyril Clemens of the Mark Twain Society, JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957) expressed the difficulty of calling any one composer a country's "Greatest Composer". read more...

THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS: JOHN PHILLIPS, MICHELLE PHILLIPS, DENNIS DOHERTY and CASS ELLIOT The Mamas and Papas sign a document requesting that the royalties from Dunhill Records, Inc. be paid. Rare Typed Document Signed: "John Phillips", "Michelle Phillips", "Cass Elliot" and "Dennis Doherty", 1p, 8½x11. No place, 1967 September 26. To Dunhill Records, Beverly Hills. In full: "The undersigned hereby irrevocably instruct and direct you to pay a sum equal to twenty (20%) per cent of any and all royalties payable to us from Dunhill Records, Inc., attributable to the sale of records embodying our performances on master recordings produced by Lou Adler, to Mr. Lou Adler at 800 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles, California 90024. All recording costs are to be borne solely by us." Adler's name and address are crossed out in black pen, most probably before this document was sold to a collector/dealer. The day after this contract, Adler resigned from Dunhill Records and was hired by read more...

BUDDY HOLLY Notebook page with his handwritten answers to a high school English quiz, signed by him at the top with the original spelling of his name ("Holley") Autograph Manuscript signed: "Buddy Holley" at upper margin, 1 page, 8x10½ lined sheet. Holly's answers to a ten-question test, likely for an English class as the answers refer to types of sentences. He answered seven questions correctly. Holly, who was graduated from Lubbock High School in 1955, was recording for Decca Records within a year. Born on September 7, 1936 in Lubbock, Texas as Charles Hardin Holley, the future recording star became known as "Buddy". His first record contract dropped the "e" in Holley, and he adopted the spelling. Before going to Lubbock High School, Holly had attended Lubbock's J.T. Hutchinson Junior High, where he met Bob Montgomery. The duo quickly became known for their musical talent and lack of stage fright. Buddy, Bob and a friend, Jerry Allison, began performing at school functions, and by September of 1953, Buddy had a regular show on Lubbock radio station KDAV. It was in Allison's home that "The Crickets" were born (with Niki Sullivan on rhythm guitar, Allison on drums and Joe B. read more...

SIGNED, HANDWRITTEN COPY OF "CHANTILLY LACE" RECOVERED FROM THE BIG BOPPER'S SUITCASE ON THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED J.P. RICHARDSON "THE BIG BOPPER" Autograph Musical Manuscript signed: "Big Bopper", 9½x12½ lined music paper. The second trumpet part for "Chantilly Lace", written in signer's hand in black ink. A "flat" sign has been added in blue ink to the key signature. Accompanied by photocopy of a handwritten letter from Richardson's son, J. P. Richardson, Jr., which reads in part: "These three pieces (Chantilly Lace, Big Boppers Wedding, Little Red Riding Hood), were recovered from my fathers' briefcase which survived the plane crash of Feb. 3, 1959." [The other two pieces mentioned are not included with the sale of this item.] Jiles Perry Richardson (1930-1959) was a Texas disc jockey who called himself "The Big Bopper" after the latest dance craze, the bop. His song, "Chantilly Lace", which he wrote and sang, reached the "Top Ten" in 1958. In January 1959, The Big Bopper was booked on the Winter Dance Party tour that would cover most of the Midwest. The tour included such headliners as Buddy Holly, Dion and the Belmonts, Waylon Jennings and Ritchie Valens. read more...

JOHN COLTRANE Autograph Musical Manuscript, an early (late 1950s), 2-page arrangement of the jazz classic "Body and Soul," a part for alto sax, unsigned but handwritten by him on musical notation paper Autograph Musical Manuscript, unsigned. Titled "Body + Soul". 2 pages, 9½x12½ (conjoined) with his handwritten comments: "IIIrd Alto/Solo with 1st Alto". Written in treble clef, 2/4 time, key of B flat. John Coltrane (1926-1967) was a jazz saxophonist (tenor, but also soprano and alto) and highly innovative composer. First noted as a sideman for such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and especially Miles Davis, Coltrane released his first solo album in 1957, and the first album consisting entirely of his original compositions (Giant Steps) in 1960. That same year, he formed his first ensemble, a quartet. "Trane" explored many jazz styles during a career shortened by liver cancer. His spiritual quest helped him overcome an early addiction to heroin and greatly influenced his music. Coltrane's posthumous honors included a Grammy read more...