John Lennon’s ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ Piano, Bob Dylan Lyric Sheets Head to Auction
John Lennon‘s Sgt. Pepper’s-era home piano, used by the Beatles legend to compose “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” and “A Day in the Life,” among others, is set to hit the auction block December 10th as the marquee item in Sotheby’s “A Rock & Roll Anthology: From Folk to Fury.”
The red-and-black John Broadwood and Sons cottage upright piano, which was housed in Lennon’s Kenwood home when he was writing songs for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, is estimated to sell for between $1.2 and $1.8 million; Lennon’s “Imagine” piano, featured on the 1970 classic, sold at auction for $2.1 million in 2000.
Lennon’s Sgt. Pepper’s piano comes with a plaque, installed by Lennon in 1971, denoting that the instrument was used to pen “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” “A Day in the Life,” “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” and “Good Morning Good Morning.”
The “From Folk to Fury” auction also includes unique Bob Dylan items like the singer’s autographed final manuscript for “Blowin’ in the Wind,” featuring Dylan’s handwritten corrections and signature “Bob Dylan 1962.”
Four handwritten versions of Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” are known to exist; the one hitting the block at Sotheby’s, estimated to sell for between $300,000 and $500,000, is the July 1962 version used by Dylan to record The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan track.
Dylan and the Band‘s Rick Danko’s typed manuscript for “This Wheel’s on Fire,” with handwritten edits presumably by Danko, will also hit the auction block with a $60,000 estimate. Sketches that Dylan drew of Joan Baez, as well as sketches Baez made of Dylan, are also available at the auction.
Other notable items include the Eagles‘ original, handwritten manuscript for “Hotel California,” featuring lyrics penned by both Don Henley and Glenn Frey and estimated to sell for between $500,000 and $700,000.
Original paintings by David Bowie, a cache of Lou Reed’s Velvet Underground lyrics, Jim Morrison’s 1971 handwritten notebook, John Lennon’s Help! jacket and Johnny Rotten’s lyrics for the Sex Pistols’ “Problems,” penned on Malcolm McLaren’s office stationary, will also be auctioned off.