The Dorothy dress is going up for auction.
Celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien said Judy Garland’s original costume from “The Wizard of Oz” could sell for $500,000 when it hits the auction block next month, the Associated Press reports.
The white puff-sleeve blouse and blue gingham pinafore has inspired countless Halloween costumes since the film was released in 1939. Although several identical dresses were made for the production, the dress to be sold is the only version seen in the film and the only complete original dress to survive.
The outfit will be on view at London’s Stafford Hotel beginning Tuesday, before being exhibited at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif., Nov. 5-9, prior to the auction Nov. 9-10.
Nashville Songwriters Hall inducts new members
Kim Williams hesitated only slightly when asked who he thinks has been the best interpreter of his songs before the start of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“That’s tough, but I’d say it would have to be Garth Brooks, because I wrote them with him,” Mr. Williams said. “He was part of the songs, too, before he sang them. We had so much fun writing together.”
They had a load of fun together Sunday night, too.
Mr. Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, were on hand to help celebrate this year’s inductees — Mr. Williams, Tony Arata, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Larry Henley, The Associated Press reports. Mr. Brooks saluted Mr. Williams and Mr. Arata, while Miss Yearwood paid tribute to Miss Carpenter and Mr. Henley, the writer of the enduring hit “The Wind Beneath My Wings.”
“Over 200 artists have recorded ’The Wind Beneath My Wings,’ so it’s kind of, how do you do a new twist?” Miss Yearwood said before the ceremony. “And with Chapin, I’ve just known her a long, long time, so it was a no-brainer when she asked me. It’s the Garth and Trisha show, and we’re just going to have a good time.”
Mr. Brooks sang “New Way To Fly,” “Papa Loved Mama” and “Three Wooden Crosses” to Mr. Williams during a moving and hilarious induction speech, then sang Mr. Arata’s “The Dance.” The appearance comes a year after Mr. Brooks’ own induction.
“I cried the whole time, and I’m going to cry all night tonight, too, but now it’s for one of your brothers,” Mr. Brooks said. “I think I’m more excited for Kim and Tony going in. For me, it’s long overdue. I was thinking about Kent Blazy, and I wonder where his face is. I think it’s only a matter of time for him, too. These are the guys I grew up with. They moved here at the same time, and we’re all brothers.”
Marc Cohn also helped pay tribute to Miss Carpenter, who noted she’s just the 14th female inductee among 188 hall of fame members.
“And that feels like an honor in and of itself,” Miss Carpenter said beforehand. “I know that I stand on a lot of shoulders just to get to this place. I’m just so happy.”
The Nashville Songwriters Association International also gave out its yearly songwriting awards. Taylor Swift won the songwriter/artist of the year award for the fifth time in six years and remains at 22 that award’s youngest winner. Dallas Davidson was named songwriter of the year. And Dolly Parton’s enduring hit “I Will Always Love You,” which reached No. 1 again this year after Whitney Houston’s death, was named song of the year.
Drake’s Aaliyah project gets Lil Wayne’s support
Lil Wayne thinks the late Aaliyah’s music is better than a lot of music out today — and he’s confident that Drake’s plan to produce unreleased Aaliyah songs will be an “awesome collaboration.”
Drake — a huge Aaliyah fan — has announced that he is working on a posthumous album of Aaliyah music, and he’s already released the song “Enough Said” featuring himself and the singer-dancer, who was killed in a plane crash in 2001.
Some who were close to Aaliyah have not expressed support for the album, according to The Associated Press. Missy Elliott and Timbaland, who produced most of Aaliyah’s music, are not involved, and DMX, who co-starred with Aaliyah in the movie “Romeo Must Die” and recorded a song with her, has been critical of the project.
Lil Wayne said he hasn’t heard any negative feedback, and added when he first heard that his Young Money protege was a part of the project, his first thought was: “Good move.”
“Everybody knows what Aaliyah did and done for music and culture, period, and it’s always good to do that, for not only for people like that, just for her fans — you know what I mean?” he said in a recent interview. “Drake’s a very thoughtful person. Everyone knows that. It’s an awesome collaboration.”
So far, “Enough Said” has peaked at No. 55 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart. Aaliyah is known for hits such as “Try Again,” “If Your Girl Only Knew” and “Rock the Boat,” and Lil Wayne said her music has stood the test of time.
“Her music is still awesome. It’s still better than a lot of music out right now,” he said.
As for his own music, Lil Wayne — who’s expected to release his 10th album, “I Am Not a Human Being II,” this winter — said it’s harder and harder to come up with new things to say: The 30-year-old has been rapping since he was a teen.
“I’ve said everything in every situation in every way, so it’s almost interesting to go into the studio and find new things to talk about and new ways to talk about them and hear it back and say, ’Wow, you figured it out again,’” he said.
• Compiled from wire reports
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