Q&A with Kody Frederick on Music Icons Auction at Hard Rock Cafe

May 20, 2026

ON MAY 29 AND 3O, HARD ROCK CAFE TIMES SQUARE WILL HOST MUSIC ICONS 2026 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JULIEN’S AUCTIONS- featuring a collection of over 650 pieces of nostalgic memorabilia spanning the world of rock n’ roll and beyond, music enthusiasts can bid online now or attend the live event in person. Bidding currently averages from $50 to over $50,000. We spoke briefly with Kody Frederick, Head of Marketing at Julien’s, about the standout pieces in the collection, the significance of Hard Rock as a partner, and how fans can participate in the auction.

PETTY: How would you describe the history of Julien’s Auctions, and how did the partnership with Hard Rock Cafe come together?

KODY: Julien’s Auctions has been around for 20-plus years. We have done auctions for artists directly: Janet Jackson, Ringo Starr — we sold the mechanical E.T. We’ve also worked with Cher, Barbra Streisand, and so many others. Music is really at the heart of what we do, but pop culture is what has formed us. Whether it’s selling Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress for $5 million, or Kurt Cobain’s Martin guitar from MTV Unplugged, we’re kind of pioneers in the auction space for music, and we want to keep that moving.

What Hard Rock Cafe is great at is celebrating the collecting of music, so it’s a natural fit for what we do when we’re telling stories. Being able to partner with Hard Rock and run an auction here, and present the opportunity for them to add to their collection, is something we appreciate.

PETTY: How can people participate in the auction?

KODY: Since COVID, a live auction is more about the flair and excitement, and the majority of our bidders bid online at JuliensAuctions.com. The sale is live right now, and we close the lots on the 29th and 30th of May at Hard Rock Cafe in New York. As time progresses, we want more and more people to come out and celebrate it. It’s a fun way to look back at music, see where it is, and see where it’s going.

PETTY: What do you hope people take away from this auction?

KODY: We’re big fans ourselves, and I think really what we’re trying to project is that these things have real value. Cherishing and taking care of them whether you’re a collector or an investor means they need to live on, and they can’t just be in an artist’s house. We want to give people an opportunity to preserve them and continue to tell the story.

PETTY: What are some standout items in the collection that people should look out for?

KODY: I think what’s great about a Music Icons sale, and with Julien’s in general, is we’re not necessarily holding a hard line — it’s not only rock. We have the shorts from the “Manchild” music video, John Bottoms’ suit, Kirk Hammett’s first Ouija board guitar… when he gave it away, he wrote on the back of it, so that’s a cool piece. So many of these pieces will perform from the standpoint of value, but they also have their stories. We have 72 guitars over 680 lots, so there’s a lot of history there.

For example, the Johnny Cash guitar from his first time at the Grand Ole Opry — that’s an amazing piece of music history. We have items that aren’t on display including some incredible Ace Frehley guitars where you can see the personalization of the artist in the instrument. Being able to convey that type of piece really captures a moment in time.