The Beatles‘ instruments including John Lennon‘s ‘Sgt. Peppers’ piano and Paul McCartney‘s signed Ed Sullivan Show guitar could fetch up to $1.5 million at auction.
Many are hoping for a piece of Fab Four memorabilia at the Gotta Have Rock and Roll auction, which began today. Up for grabs is the ultra-rare John Lennon instrument, described as his ‘favorite piano’, which resided in his home in Surrey, England. Lennon used the piano, which could sell for $120,000, to compose songs for the Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album and installed a plaque on it before moving to his new home in London with Yoko Ono. It reads: ‘On this piano was written: A Day in the Life, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Good Morning, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite and many others. John Lennon. 1971.’
A set list from the Beatles’ 1963 Cheltenham Odeon Show, written by Paul McCartney and signed by Lennon and Ringo Starr, also has an estimate of around $120,000.The piece was obtained by a 17-year-old student who attended the concert, before bumping into the stars at the Savoy hotel the next day.
Without an autograph book to hand, Ringo pulled out a scrap of paper from his pocket, which was the set list from their previous night’s show.
An ultra-rare ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ album signed by the Beatles in green and blue pen, and Paul McCartney’s signed Epiphone guitar played on the Ed Sullivan Show could each fetch $40,000.
Auctioneer Ed Kosinski, from Gotta Have Rock and Roll, said: ‘The best piece we have is the Lennon piano that he wrote ‘Sgt Peppers’ songs on. ‘Over my time, we have come across a lot of personal items by John Lennon from his clothing to guitar straps and pictures, but nothing as significant as the piano.’There has only been one other piano sold from Lennon’s home, which was the one that he wrote Imagine on, which sold for $2million to George Michael. ‘This one came out of his home which he recorded many of the songs on.’What’s amazing is that we also have a picture from his Kenwood home where you can see Lennon right in front of the piano, so that’s remarkable.’The set list is fascinating, it has a really great story, it was obtained by a 17-year-old student after going to a Beatles’ concert. ‘The next day she went to the hotel they were staying at and waited outside only to meet John and Ringo. ‘She said that she didn’t have an autograph book, and when she asked for autograph Ringo looked into his jacket found something.’That something from his pocket was this set-list, all handwritten McCartney and had who would introduce the next songs written down. ‘What’s really interesting this is likely the setlist from this show give to her the day after that show. ‘One side is all handwritten and the others side is signed by Ringo and John.
‘The Beatles signed quite a few albums but the most common one was, ‘Please Please Me’, but ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is an especially rare signed one.
‘Signed Sgt Peppers’ albums have sold for up to $300,000 in the past, so this one is definitely rare to have been signed by all four of The Beatles.’
Paul and Linda McCartney’s custom-made matching pink tuxedos worn in 1985 could fetch $20,000.
Ed said his favourite item is the leather train case, previously owned by famed boxer Evander Holyfield and given to McCartney by Beatles manager Brian Epstein, which could sell for more than $9,000.
A neatly signed Bahamas original photograph while shooting ‘Help!’ could fetch $25,000.
A 1963 concert tour programme from the Beatles and Roy Orbison U.K. could sell for $14,000 – with the signed piece autographed by the Fab Four and others.
A personal polaroid annotated by John Lennon and showing his son Sean along with his aunt Mimi, could sell for $9,000. In the note Lennon wrote: ‘These are more recent – he was too fat – and had a cold in the large picture ’77.’
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