John Lennon’s piano, used for composing songs for the Beatles, was bought by Colts owner Jim Irsay through Auction.
The piano was used to compose songs for “Sgt. Pepper’s” album including “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds”, “A Day In The Life” as well as many other songs.
I’m elated to now be the steward of John’s “Sgt. Pepper” upright piano. It’s a responsibility I take seriously, with future generations in mind. #GettingThemBackTogether #Beatles
— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) April 20, 2019
As per TMZ Sports, Irsay paid $718,750 for Lennon’s piano, but the auction site that handled the sale, Gotta Have Rock and Roll, did not reveal the price the piano fetched. The minimum required bid was $575,000.
John Lennon’s Piano up for Sale
An upright John Broadwood and Sons piano on which Lennon once wrote tunes for the Beatles was put up for auction as per Gotta Have Rock and Roll auction site) and was expected to fetch up to $1.2 million. Lennon used the instrument to write hits like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “A Day in the Life” at his Kenwood estate.
George Michael pays handsome amount to save piano John Lennon’s piano
George Michael paid paid £1.67m to save John Lennon’s famous piano (on which he wrote Imagine) so that people in Liverpool could see it.
Michael originally paid £1.45m for the historic Steinway upright piano (formerly owned by the ex-Beatle) but the cost rose to £1.67m after buyer’s premium was added by auctioneers Fleetwood Owen.
The piano, built in Hamburg in 1970, is a Steinway Model Z upright bought by Lennon from the manufacturer in December of that year and delivered to his Ascot Sound Studios.
The piano still bears two burns from where Lennon left a cigarette smouldering. It was the last piano played by John Lennon, and is now unveiled at The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool.
‘It’s not the type of thing that should be in storage somewhere or being protected, it should be seen by people,’ Michael said
George Michael bought John Lennon's white piano so it wouldn't go to a private collector – then donated it to the Beatles exhibition. Ledg.
— Jamie Crowther (@jambounchained1) December 26, 2016
George Michael later handed over the piano to the Beatles Story museum in Liverpool.
Michael had said that John Lennon’s famous piano was “worth every penny”.
“Having paid one and a half million pounds for it I’d really like to play something on it and stick it on my next record. I don’t really think it’ll be Imagine part two – I think that’s a little much to hope for, really. It’ll probably be Chopsticks in comparison but it’ll definitely go on the record somewhere,” Michael.
A spokeswoman for the Beatles Story said Michael loaned them the famous piano for a short while before Michael took it on tour to “spread the message of Imagine Love and Peace”.
Image credit: Photo by Ian Cooper (Photo: Liverpool Echo)
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