News 12 at 6 o'clock, July 17, 2008

AUGUSTA, Ga.---James Brown got off on the good foot right here in Augusta, but his impact was far reaching. "I can honestly say I wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for you," said LL Cool J.

Those words came as James Brown received Kennedy Center Honors. That very honor is now being auctioned off. "It's a sad day for us. It's sad day for America period," said Daryl Brown.

Family members say trustees, looking to raise money to pay estate taxes and other bills, raided the Brown home and turned over hundreds of personal items to Christies New York Auction House.

"When we went into the home after that had happened...it was like they had just went in and just raped my dad," said Deanna Brown.

To add insult to injury, it had been done with the families permission. "We were given the opportunity to list items that we did not want sold. We did that. We complied, and we were totally ignored. Our list was totally ignored," said Deanna.

The family says Christies purchased awards, suits, even family photos for 700,000. In the end, more than 320 items went to the highest bidder.

You just don't auction those things off. Those things are of value," said Daryl Brown. "Those things are to put up for other generations to come to look at and weigh themselves against, not just to give to somebody to put in their house, and say I got James Brown stuff."

That stuff included a gift from the children, the family Bible, and even Brown's signature shoes. "Here's a man that didn't have anything. Here's a man who, as a little boy, didn't even have a pair of shoes," said Daryl.

"Today is like a tragedy to us. It's like him dying all over again," said Daryl.

Deanna Brown and most of the family spent the day in New York with Reverend Al Sharpton. They spoke out about the auction. One of the items scheduled to be auctioned was James Brown's Grammy award for Best R & B Vocal Performance. That item was pulled from the auction earlier Thursday morning. A Christie's employee told News 12 the estate requested the item be removed.