Standard News

Hide Advertisement
  • Business
  • Culture
  • News
  • Technology
  • Trending
Site logo
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Lennon’s lyrics, Cobain’s letter and Gaga’s piano up for auction

By Reuters 2 min read
Advertisement - Continue reading below

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics, Lady Gaga’s first piano and an angry note from Kurt Cobain discussing the possibility of disbanding Nirvana after an unflattering magazine article are among the top items being offered at an upcoming auction.

Hundreds of items belonging to rock musicians, from guitars and drum kits to suits and fan correspondence, will be offered by Julien’s Auctions for sale on May 21 in New York.

Advertisement

Lennon’s handwritten lyrics and notes for the song “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!,” from the Beatles’ 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” is expected to fetch between $300,000 and $500,000.

“Anything written by John Lennon (is) highly sought after,” Martin Nolan, executive director at Julien’s Auctions, said.

Another item garnering attention is Nirvana frontman Cobain’s letter to record label boss David Geffen, in which Cobain expresses displeasure at a 1992 Vanity Fair article that said the rocker and his wife Courtney Love used drugs while she was pregnant.

The letter is expected to fetch between $20,000 and $30,000 but Nolan said it could sell for $100,000 or more.

Cobain wrote Geffen that the article “has forced me to decide on breaking up my band,” and added “Courtney found out that she was pregnant within the first month of our drug binge. She stopped using.”

“I love my wife and soon to be new daughter too much to let everyones low opinions of us ruin our lives together,” the hand-written letter said.

Cobain killed himself in 1994 and Nirvana disbanded. The rocker is still mourned by fans more than 20 years later.

“It’s very unusual to find a letter written by Kurt Cobain, but this is an important letter in defense of his wife,”

Other highlights include pop star Lady Gaga’s first piano, where she wrote her first song aged 5, is expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000, a portion of which will go to the singer’s Born This Way Foundation.

Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s red and white “Rock Soldier” jacket worn during the band’s 1986 Magic tour, is also up on the auction block and expected to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000. Nolan called the jacket “a great conversation piece.”

“Investors see these items as cool, but also really great opportunities to increase your investment because over time, chances are they will appreciate in value,” he said.

(Reporting by Reuters TV, Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by David Gregorio)

Advertisement - Continue reading below

Secret Service shoots gun-wielding man near White House
News
Reuters 2 min read

Secret Service shoots gun-wielding man near White House

Differences abide in Baton Rouge after moment of shared sorrow
News
Reuters 3 min read

Differences abide in Baton Rouge after moment of shared sorrow

Disney faces PR crisis, risk of legal action after gator attack
News
Reuters 4 min read

Disney faces PR crisis, risk of legal action after gator attack

Protesters face off in downtown Cleveland, separated by police
News
Reuters 2 min read

Protesters face off in downtown Cleveland, separated by police

Think the Airlines Are Trying to Make You Miserable? You’re Right
Business
Sierra McCleary-Harris 4 min read

Think the Airlines Are Trying to Make You Miserable? You’re Right

U.S. completes ‘takedown’ of Medicare fraud: officials
News
Reuters 2 min read

U.S. completes ‘takedown’ of Medicare fraud: officials

Dallas gunman struggled with marksmanship in training: ex-Army peer
News
Reuters 2 min read

Dallas gunman struggled with marksmanship in training: ex-Army peer

U.S. regulators pave way for speedy next-generation 5G networks
News
Reuters 3 min read

U.S. regulators pave way for speedy next-generation 5G networks

Hundreds of Americans wash up illegally in Canada after river party
News
Reuters 2 min read

Hundreds of Americans wash up illegally in Canada after river party

Actor Michael Jace of TV’s ‘The Shield’ convicted of murdering wife
News
Reuters 2 min read

Actor Michael Jace of TV’s ‘The Shield’ convicted of murdering wife

load more Loading posts...

sidebar

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

sidebar-alt

  • About Us
  • Imprint
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • For Advertisers