ATLANTA -- The Internal Revenue Service will seek to recover more than $1 million in back taxes owed by pop and R&B star Peabo Bryson by auctioning off belongings that include everything from Grammy awards to dishware.

"We are having the auction to reduce his tax debt," said Keith Hilava, a property appraisal and liquidation specialist for the IRS.

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. Along with Dion and Belle, he has also recorded duets with Roberta Flack and Natalie Cole.

In 1989, Bryson paid $1.2 million in taxes to settle a lien the IRS placed on a residence he owned on Peachtree Road.

On Aug. 21, the IRS seized property from Bryson's Buckhead mansion on Old Mill Lane. According to a lien on file at the Fulton County Courthouse, he owed the IRS $1.2 million as of 2000.

Hilava said the auction will be held Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. The first portion will focus on electronic and recording equipment. The second day 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.

"I am expecting a good crowd," Hilava said. "How much we sell and what we sell it for will depend on the people buying. It depends on the market."

Hilava, who has been doing sales for the IRS for 25 years, said celebrity auctions often attract curiosity seekers.