Debt-ridden singer’s goods to be sold off

The Internal Revenue Service will seek to recover more than $1 million in back taxes that pop and R&B; star Peabo Bryson owes by auctioning off some of his belongings, ranging from Grammy Awards to dishware.

The first portion of the Atlanta auction on Friday will focus on electronic and recording equipment. The second day on Saturday will be devoted to Bryson’s personal items, including a grand piano, a signed copy of Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom,” several bottles of expensive wine, a closet full of designer suits and several gold and platinum records.

Bryson, 52, is a writer, singer and producer with nine gold albums. He won a Grammy in 1992 for his recording of “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and another in 1993 for “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle. He’s also recorded duets with Roberta Flack and Natalie Cole.

In 1989, he paid $1.2 million in taxes to settle a lien the IRS placed on his home. According to a lien on file at the Fulton County Courthouse, he owed the IRS $1.2 million as of 2000.