John Lennon piano sells for £2.5m

2 hours ago

News image — The piano was used to compose songs for the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album

PA Media An upright piano in dark wood, with a red and black design on the front. — The piano was used to compose songs for the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album

A piano used by John Lennon to compose songs for The Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has sold for a record £2.5m ($3.2m).

The sale price, fetched at an auction at Christie's in New York, is believed to be the highest fee for a piece of Beatles memorabilia .

The Broadwood upright piano was sold as part of the 'Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame', with drumming equipment belonging to Beatles' bandmate Sir Ringo Starr among the record-breaking items sold at Thursday's auction.

The piano was used to write songs including Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, A Day In The Life, and Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!, which all featured on the Liverpool band's eighth studio album.

The collection had been amassed by billionaire businessman Irsay, who owned the American football franchise Indianapolis Colts until his death last year at the age of 65.

The piano had been estimated to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000, but eventually soared above its estimate, selling for $3,247,000 (£2,448,968).

The auction also included Sir Ringo's first Ludwig drum kit, which had been used in live performances and studio sessions with the band in its early years, from May 1963 to February 1964.

PA Media A drum kit standing on a grey carpet. 'The Beatles' is etched on the face of the bass drum in black letters. — Drumming equipment belonging to Sir Ringo Starr broke records as the most expensive drum kits to be sold at auction

The three-piece drum kit sold for just under $2.4m and briefly broke the record for the most expensive drum set sold at auction.

However, a drumhead forming part of Sir Ringo's second Ludwig kit sold in the next lot for just under $2.9m - snatching away the record briefly held by the earlier set.

The drumhead was used during the Beatles' first visit to America, when the group famously performed on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

A series of photographs, handwritten letters and signed postcards from Lennon were also among the items in the sale, as well as an affidavit filed by his bandmate Sir Paul marking the break up of the hit '60s band.

A black-and-white image of a young, smiling John Lennon, circa 1964. — A series of letters and postcards from John Lennon formed part of the Irsay sale

Perhaps more remarkably, the Beatles' musical memorabilia did not fetch the most significant sums of the night.

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's 'Black Strat' (Fender Stratocaster) fetched just under £11m becoming the most expensive guitar sold at auction, while a guitar belonging to US rock star Kurt Cobain, the founder of grunge band Nirvana, sold for more than £5.2m.

The Fender Mustang had been used in the music video for the group's hit song, Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Julien Pradels, president of Christie's Americas, said: "Lot after lot, we felt like we were making history.

"The Irsay sale did justice to the brilliance of the collector, and the monumental pieces he brought together - iconic objects that tell the story of our culture and our times."

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