Grammy-winning pop star Whitney Houston sold off clothes and instruments on Tuesday, along with music awards won by her soon-to-be ex-husband Bobby Brown, to pay a debt to the warehouse storing the items.

Houston, one of the most celebrated pop artistes of the 1980s and 1990s, was ordered to unload the items by the New Jersey Superior Court.

Due to ongoing legal action, the amount raised by the auction will not be released, said Steve Newmark, co-owner of A.J. Willner Auctions, which handled the sale.

Undergarments

More than 400 lots were put up for sale, including pianos, keyboards, organs, drums, designer hats, shoes and outfits from well-known names like Giorgio Armani, Jean Paul Gaultier, Pamela Dennis, Gianni Versace and Dolce & Gabbana.

Among the more intriguing items were 'Whitney's Throne' chair, a designer Lucite ****tail stand, a church pew and some of Houston's undergarments.

"One of the things I kept hearing on TV and on the radio was that people want to buy her personal items such as bras and underwear and stuff like that," said fan Jon Recor, who travelled from Montreal, Canada, for the auction.

"God only knows what they would do with them. But if I do happen to win them, what I would love to do is send them back to her because, really, the rightful owner should have them back."

Houston's publicist, Nancy Seltzer, was unavailable for comment on Tuesday, but said last week that the singer was auctioning off old tour equipment that was no longer in use and that part of the proceeds would pay the storage debt.