Although The Beatles, with all four members, had their final recording session on August 20, 1969, it wasn't until the end of 1974 that the band officially split up. The historical moment that forever changed pop music is demonstrated in a document signed by all Beatles members. Gotta Have Rock and Roll, an auction house specializing in music memorabilia, currently offers this historically important document – and now it can be yours to own.
The Break-Up of The Beatles
On August 18, 1962, Ringo Starr joined The Beatles, and the Fab Four, as we know them, was formed. The band gradually became the world's biggest pop culture phenomenon, but the internal problems within the band increased. Peter Jackson's acclaimed documentary The Beatles: Get Back from 2021 covers the making of the last Beatles album. Viewers can feel the tension between the four, and it's easy to see that the end wasn't far away. Drummer Ringo Starr had already left the group for a two-week period in 1968, and guitarist George Harrison quit the band for five days at the beginning of 1969. Fast forward to August of the same year, John Lennon informed his bandmates that he'd leave The Beatles; and in April 1970, Paul McCartney publicly announced that he would quit the band. Nonetheless, the dissolution of The Beatles wasn't official until 1974.
The Important 1974 Document
The document, which formalized the dissolution of The Beatles, was signed by all four band members: George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr (as Richard Starkey). Harrison and Lennon signed the document twice – both as band members, but also as Directors of Apple Corps Ltd. Apple is the record label which The Beatles founded in 1968 to replace their earlier company (Beatles Ltd).
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The plan was to sign the document in New York on December 19. Ringo Starr had already signed the document and would be present on the phone. McCartney, Harrison, and Lennon would, however, be present in-person to sign the agreement. The latter would, in fact, not show up, resulting in McCartney and Harrison signing the contract. Ten days later, Lennon was on vacation in Florida, more precisely at Disney World. A lawyer met up with Lennon and gave him the agreement that was fully signed, with the exception of Lennon's two signatures. Lennon added his signatures, and the document was dated accurately – and The Beatles were officially over.
Gotta Have Rock and Roll has put an estimate for the lot at $300,000 – $500,000, which some would argue is low due to the significance of the document. The auction ends on June 30.
Other Remarkable Items At Auction
The auction, ending on June 30, is available online on Gotta Have It Rock and Roll's website and features 600+ spectacular lots. Besides the break-up document, other remarkable Beatles items are being offered for sale, such as a handwritten Beatles setlist, which is also signed by all members (estimate: $300,000 – $500,000). Another spectacular item is the band's 1968 "White Album", beautifully signed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney ($50,000 – $75,000).
Looking at non-Beatles items, we find many spectacular guitars personally owned and played by some of the all-time greats, such as Elvis Presley ($100,000 – $150,000), Keith Richards ($50,000 – $75,000), David Gilmour ($30,000 – $40,000), and David Bowie ($15,000 – $20,000).
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Other very impressive items in the auction are handwritten "Lay Lady Lay" lyrics by Bob Dylan ($500,000 – $750,000), as well as handwritten lyrics by Robert Plant to the classic Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir" ($100,000 – $150,000).
The Most Expensive Music Memorabilia Ever Sold
In 2019, The Beatles' first management contract with Brian Epstein sold for $345,000, making it one of the most expensive Beatles memorabilia ever to be sold. A couple of years earlier, handwritten lyrics by John Lennon to "A Day in the Life" went for a whopping $1.2 million.
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However, looking at the most expensive music memorabilia items ever to be sold, the top items are played instruments. Kurt Cobain's 1959 Martin D-18E, which he used during Nirvana's iconic "MTV Unplugged" performance in 1993, tops the list with $6 million. Followed by The Black Strat, a Fender Stratocaster owned by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, which sold for $5.3 million in a charity auction. And let's not forget Beatles instruments that have been sold in seven-figure amounts. Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum head, used during The Beatles' Ed Sullivan appearance in 1964, and John Lennon's Gibson J-160E – both selling for above $2 million.