A Broadwood upright piano used by John Lennon to compose several Beatles songs has sold for a record-breaking $3.3 million at auction. The instrument, part of The Jim Irsay Collection, exceeded expectations and set a new benchmark for Beatles memorabilia. The sale also featured Ringo Starr's first drum kit, which fetched nearly $2.4 million.
The Broadwood upright piano, on which John Lennon wrote songs including ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’, ‘A Day In The Life’, and ‘Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!’, achieved a historic price at Christie’s auction house in New York. Initially estimated to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000, the piano ultimately went under the hammer for $3.3 million (£2.5 million), surpassing all previous records for Beatles-related items.
This sale formed part of The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame, a notable assembly of music artifacts. Accompanying the piano was the first Ludwig drum kit owned by Ringo Starr, utilized in the band's early live performances and studio sessions from May 1963 to February 1964. That three-piece set sold for nearly $2.4 million (£1.8 million), temporarily holding the record for the most expensive drum kit until a drum head from Starr's second Ludwig kit fetched $2.9 million (£2.2 million).
The auction highlights the enduring value placed on tangible connections to The Beatles' creative process. Lennon's use of the piano during breaks underscores its role in shaping some of the band's most iconic tracks from the late 1960s.
