Authenticity is Everything
Billie Holiday Autograph
I purchased this 78 vinyl record purportedly signed by Billie Holiday from an RACC trusted seller. I recently submitted the item to JSA for authentication, and unfortunately it did not pass.
I originally submitted it in person at a show here in CA a few weeks ago, and I was disappointed by how carelessly the item was handled during intake. When I received it back, there were fingerprints all over it. I contacted JSA immediately to report the condition, and they did expedite the review process.
Yesterday I received their letter confirming that the autograph did not pass authentication. I’m extremely disappointed and unsure what my next step should be, or if anyone here might be able to offer advice.
Prior to purchasing the item, I did my research and examined the signature characteristics—such as the looping of “Billie” and the shape of the “H” in “Holiday.” However, upon further inspection, the signature appears to have been written in ballpoint pen. Additionally, the Blue Ace label is known to be a bootleg label, and this particular pressing seems to have been released slightly before the time of her passing.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva
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To me the tail/underlining looks like a hesitant afterthought. Normally it is a bold and quite angular continuation of the downstroke in the "y". I don't think I've seen one with a gap between the "y" and the tail/underlining. I did see one with a completely detached and straight underlining and that would be a more logical thing to see here too if the "y" had somehow slipped off the surface.
From the photos it is impossible for me to assess the age of the ink. I'm not sure if the age of ink is that easy to assess even "in hand".
I think I mentioned this a long time ago but I do find it hard to imagine that Billie would have made such an effort to sign around the spindle hole so accurately, particularly if under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I suppose she must have had her better days.
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Permalink Reply by Ryan Wolfson
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That gap after the “y” doesn’t strike me as weird at all given the surface. This isn’t paper—it’s a slick record with a hole right in the middle of where the stroke would normally continue. Lifting the pen for a split second there makes total sense. That’s not hesitation, that’s just dealing with the object.
Same with the underline looking like an afterthought—I don’t see that. It looks like she adjusted mid-motion because of the label space, not because she was unsure. Honestly, a perfectly smooth, uninterrupted line on a 78 like this would feel more off to me.
And the spindle hole point… I don’t really buy that either. Anyone signing a record is going to naturally work around the hole. That’s not some unusual level of care, it’s just basic instinct. The placement here doesn’t look forced to me.
At the end of the day, I think you’re comparing this too much to clean paper signatures and expecting it to behave the same way. This is a totally different surface and situation, so some variation is exactly what you’d expect.
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A signed Holiday photo is easy to benchmark; a signed 78 isn’t. It’s a much narrower market, and pieces like that are often priced to sell rather than to test the absolute top end.
More importantly, price just isn’t a reliable indicator of authenticity. There are too many variables in how material gets listed and sold to draw that kind of conclusion from a $999 price point.
The forgery theory also still hinges on a pretty specific set of choices. You’d have someone deliberately selecting a common Blue Ace 78—rather than a more desirable Commodore issue—adding a signature that doesn’t conform to commonly cited examples, and then moving it through a specialist dealer. That’s a fairly contrived scenario.
A genuine, in-person signature with natural variation is the simpler explanation.
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The seller himself says that it is much better than a signed photo and is "a standout piece". That hardly sits well with pricing it at 20 - 50% of the normal auction price of a signed photo.
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He may have made a mistake. I still believe this was signed in Hawaii at the Continental Room, where the local radio station had this 78. The ink appears identical to that on the setlist and handbill.
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He may have but is this really likely? I cannot believe he wouldn't have checked past auction prices at RR/Heritage or at least the price of Billie's currently listed and sold on eBay.
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You don’t think the ink looks its age? The only Some Other Spring 78 I’m aware of that sold on eBay was part of a larger auction back in 2008.
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The listing was only up for two days and had around 15 watchers. I’d think he would’ve started it higher and come down if needed. Also, sellers risk losing their accounts—not to mention their reputation and integrity—by selling forgeries. He runs a business, so why take that kind of risk if he knew it wasn’t real? I’m not buying it.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin
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Pug, what about her first name, "Billie", in the autograph? All you are focusing on is her last name.
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Steve, I decided to concentrate on the surname because that it is generally more consistent. I figured that if the surname doesn't look right there is not much point in looking at the first name as well. I can have a quick look at the first name tomorrow - it's around 22.00 here and I'm just back from a very substantial Italian dinner, including large G&T and half a bottle of heavy red.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo
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You had asked how many Ace label 78's were on eBay and then I guess you pulled your question - there are 9 Blue Ace label Holidays on eBay right now.
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I initially asked: how many signed Blue Ace copies have you actually seen? Why has only 1 ever surfaced?
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