Madonna's private telephone calls are set to be made public - steamy answering machine messages she left for a former lover in the 1990s are set to go on sale in New York.

The singer faxed notes to ex-boyfriend Jim Albright and left erotic messages on his voice mail, and now the letters and taped calls are to be auctioned off. The recorded messages, on two cassette tapes, are expected to fetch in excess of $40,000.

The items are part of an auction of celebrity memorabilia which also includes Jimi Hendrix's first performance contract, which the star signed for $1 in 1965, and a terry cloth robe which once belonged to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.

The sale by the Gotta Have It! auction house will take place online, ending on August 5.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)