Stars of the Musical World

Count Basie thru "Mama" Cass Elliott

 
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COUNT BASIE     $10.00
The pianist and bandleader was one of the great exponents of swing. He studied with Fats Waller, a major influence on his work, and performed with such famous blues singers as Billie Holiday. His 1987 will is 9 pages, and makes for some interesting reading. 
IRVING BERLIN     $15.00
Berlin was himself an American institution, having composed such hit musicals as ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, CALL ME MADAM, and such standards as GOD BLESS AMERICA and WHITE CHRISTMAS. His remarkably detailed will is 31 pages to which we add the Order Fixing Tax showing the enormous value of his estate, plus the death certificate. 
SONNY BONO     $20.00
We add fifty one additional pages to our existing Bono Probate file, now totaling 63 pages. Bono died intestate, so we offer three Creditor's Claims (one by Cher), the Spousal Property Order, the entire agreement for the making of Sonny Bono's Life Story for film or television, plus the Petition for Probate and several court Orders. And a claim against the estate by a son who came out of the woodwork. The Sonny & Cher divorce file can be found elsewhere in our catalogue.

JAMES BROWN     $20.00
You’d think that The Godfather of Soul, yes, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, would have been laid to rest with the respect and dignity he deserved after such an illustrious career, but family being family (and a sizable estate being involved), this was not to be the case. This 50+ page file includes Brown’s last will & testament, his death certificate, petitions, statements (our favorite being the one about the secret room…), affidavits, disclosures, and more. Please note that due to its size, this document cannot be used with our free wills deal. Our apologies.

HOAGY CARMICHAEL   $15.00
A challenge by a customer (have we mentioned that we love a good challenge...?) prompted us to track down this file. Composer Carmichael (who gave us such wonderful standards as STARDUST and GEORGIA ON MY MIND) left a simple but detailed 5 page will, to which we have added the 5 page Petition For Probate and Administration of Estate as well as a very enlightening 6 page Inventory and Appraisement. An excellent file. 
KAREN CARPENTER   $15.00
Karen Carpenter, along with her brother Richard, comprised the singing group THE CARPENTERS until her tragic death in 1983. Miss Carpenter left behind a 14 page will as well as an interesting 3 page codicil; also included are a single page order for probate and a single page Letters of Testamentary. The Carpenter autopsy report appears in the Odds & Ends catalogue. 
JOHNNY CASH - JUNE CARTER-CASH     $15.00
The one and only Man In Black. In this unique package, we offer not only Johnny Cash’s last will and testament, but also that of his wife (who predeceased him by a mere four months) June Carter Cash. Each document is 7 pages, and while somewhat boilerplate, both make mention of the two independent revocable trusts that they had established.
RAY CHARLES     $20.00
The "Genius of Soul" was a man who lived life on the edge, fought a twenty year heroin addiction, was divorced twice and had 12 children both in and outside his marriages, and created some of the finest music ever recorded. This 35 page file includes Charles' 9-page last will and testament, the Petition for Probate, Letters Testamentary, Proof of Publication, a large creditor's claim (with a copy of the suit against Ray Charles as support), as well as his death certificate.
PATSY CLINE   $10.00
She began her singing career in the Baptist church choir, worked behind the food counter at the Greyhound Bus Terminal, and rose to become one of country music's early sweethearts. Miss Cline's 4-page, hand-written will is drafted on Delta Airlines stationary, an odd omen owing to the fact that she died in an airplane crash less than two years later. A fascinating 

ROSEMARY CLOONEY   $15.00
Rosemary Clooney’s most memorable film role would have to be as Betty Haynes in WHITE CHRISTMAS opposite Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. We are most pleased to offer her 22-page 1989 last will and testament (in which daughter-in-law Debbie Boone was bequeathed all her musical arrangements), along with twelve pages of Creditor’s Claims against her estate. A little Clooney trivia: She was standing with Rosie Grier in the Ambassador Hotel when Robert Kennedy was assassinated in the hotel kitchen in 1968…and we’re assuming that you already knew she was George Clooney’s favorite aunt. Speaking of George Clooney, you can find his divorce (from actress Talia Balsam) elsewhere in our files.

NAT "KING" COLE   $10.00
8 page will plus a 3 page petition, with daughter Natalie mentioned frequently. Death certificate included. 
RUSS COLUMBO     $15.00
Singer Columbo, a major romantic idol in the early 1930's, was in the midst of a highly publicized romance with Carole Lombard when he was killed in a bizarre shooting "accident" in 1934 at the age of 26. Columbo died intestate, though this 22-page file includes the probate filing, creditor's claims, a great Inventory and Appraisement of the estate (which included Carole Lombard's diary "of great value, amount unknown"), as well as the death certificate. 
PERRY COMO      $20.00
In a career that spanned six decades, the name Como came to mean the warm, smooth, easy-listening, slow-flame romance that characterized popular music in the '50s and '60s. We consider this 45 page file an excellent new addition, containing Como’s 9-page 1996 last will and testament, a copy of his previous 8-page will from 1988, the Petition and Order for Probate, and a claim by the funeral home showing the funeral expenses. What make this such a great file, however, is the complete inventory of his safe deposit box, giving us 20+ pages of fascinating reading.
SAM COOKE   $15.00
The extraordinarily talented singer/songwriter lost his life to a motel manager's bullet in December of 1964. Since he died intestate (without a will), this file contains 17 pages of claims (one by the woman he was allegedly assaulting just before his death), funeral information, Petition For Letters of Administration, an interesting Inventory and Appraisement, as well as the death certificate. An excellent file. Cooke's huge autopsy file (including the Coroner's Inquisition transcript) can be found elsewhere in our catalogues.

SCATMAN CROTHERS      $10.00
Benjamin Sherman “Scatman” Crothers was a composer, singer, comedian, guitarist, and fine character actor whose career began in a Duke Ellington one-reeler (with Billie Holiday, no less) in 1935. This 13 page file includes his last will, a spousal property petition, a copy of the grant deed to the property he shared with his wife, as well as his death certificate. 

BOBBY DARIN   $15.00
Heartthrob Bobby Darin's stellar career was cut short at age 37 in 1973, at which time he left a very concise 14 page will, to which we have added a highly detailed 5 page Petition for Probate as well as a copy of the death certificate. Darin's marriage to that cute little Sandra Dee caused quite a stir back in 1960. You can find her last will and testament elsewhere in our catalogues.
MILES DAVIS   $15.00
The extraordinary jazz musician was truly one of a kind in our book. Davis left an 8 page will (the attorney's copy which does not bear a signature) which we supplement with an interesting psychiatric examination, 9 pages of documents pertaining to his divorce from actress Cicely Tyson, and the Certificate of Death. 
SAMMY DAVIS, JR.   $10.00
A 9 page will plus a one page witness to the signing of the will. An extremely interesting will, in light of what later happened to the estate, after the IRS got hold of it. 
JOHN DENVER   $15.00
Mechanical failure was cited as the cause of the airplane crash that killed musician John Denver in October '97. We offer the Monterey County (CA) Coroner's incredibly detailed 20 page postmortem examination, the Coroner's investigation and report as well as the toxicology findings. A highly requested file.
DUKE ELLINGTON   $10.00
Composer, arranger, bandleader, and pianist, Ellington developed a unique sound for his musicians by blending instruments ingeniously into startling harmonies. Ellington appears to have died intestate, this package including 7 pages primarily dealing with his son, Mercer, as administrator of thee state. Death certificate included. 
CASS ELLIOTT   $15.00
"Mama" Cass Elliott of the 60's MAMAS & PAPAS, died intestate in July of 1974. We present a very, very enlightening 26 pages of petitions, claims, inventories, accountings and funeral information, that could be considered a serious collector's item. British death certificate included.
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