SEE MY UPDATED ARTICLE ON THE AUCTION RESULTS HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p> The once-in-a-lifetime sale includes Ringo\u2019s Ed Sullivan Show drumhead, Revolver-era guitars, Paul\u2019s handwritten \u201cHey Jude\u201d lyrics, and the Beatles break-up affidavit, chronicling a journey from the heights of Beatlemania to the painful dissolution of the greatest rock band in history.<\/p> The group of guitars alone, known as the greatest collection on Earth, include instruments owned by Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Prince, Lou Reed, Eddie Van Halen, Johnny Cash, Les Paul, U2\u2019s The Edge, Walter Becker of Steely Dan, Neal Schon of Journey, and John McVie of Fleetwood Mac.<\/p> The Beatles portion of the Irsay Collection represents perhaps the most significant grouping of band memorabilia in private hands.<\/p> The original Ludwig bass drumhead featuring the iconic \u201cBeatles\u201d drop-T logo was used during the Ed Sullivan Show TV performance seen by 73 million viewers, launching Beatlemania and the British Invasion. The prominent placement of the Ludwig logo created such a publicity burst that Ludwig became the dominant drum manufacturer in North America. The drumhead was presented to Ringo at the CBS-TV Studio 50 morning rehearsal and installed just in time for the broadcast.<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $1,000,000 – $2,000,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> Used for hundreds of live performances and studio recordings from May 1963 to February 1964, this kit was heard on many of the Beatles\u2019 earliest hit recordings. It was purchased in spring 1963 from Drum City in London through manager Brian Epstein (he negotiated a trade: Ringo\u2019s Premier kit for this Ludwig, and Drum City thew in the painted bass drum featuring the Beatles logo.)<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $1,000,000 – $2,000,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> Purchased at Manny\u2019s Music Store in Manhattan on February 9, 1964, this was used throughout Ringo\u2019s time with the Beatles for studio recordings. Notably, Paul McCartney<\/strong> borrowed this snare drum to record his first solo album \u201cMcCartney\u201d (1970), mixing components from Ringo\u2019s first two kits. This drum was originally sold at Julien\u2019s Auctions in 2015 for $75,000; Jim Irsay purchased it in 2019.<\/p> Worn throughout his Beatles years from 1961 through 1969, the ring was an iconic part of Ringo\u2019s image during the band\u2019s peak.<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $60,000 – $100,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> George\u2019s main studio guitar from 1966-1969 <\/strong>during the Beatles\u2019 most experimental phase. The instrument was used extensively on the Revolver <\/em>album (1966), including \u201cShe Said She Said,\u201d \u201cDoctor Robert,\u201d \u201cTaxman,\u201d and \u201cI Want to Tell You.\u201d and it appeared prominently in the promotional films for \u201c<\/strong>Paperback Writer\u201d and \u201cRain\u201d filmed at Chiswick House, London in May 1966.<\/p> The guitar also appeared in the \u201cLady Madonna\u201d promo film (1968), shot during the \u201cHey Bulldog\u201d session, and was played during the Beatles\u2019 final official UK concert at the 1966 NME Poll Winners Concert on May 1, 1966.<\/p> John Lennon <\/strong>also used this guitar during White Album sessions in 1968, notably on \u201cWhile My Guitar Gently Weeps.\u201d Harrison gave the guitar to <\/strong>Pete Ham of Badfinger in 1969, who played it extensively, including on \u201cBaby Blue\u201d (1972). After Ham\u2019s death in 1975, the guitar was stored away for 28 years until the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame contacted Ham\u2019s brother for a Badfinger retrospective in 2002. The guitar had been loaned to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before Irsay acquired it.<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $800,000 – $1,200,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> An Australian-made acoustic guitar used by Harrison during Beatles performances, it was part of Harrison\u2019s diverse guitar collection from the early Beatles era.<\/p> Used during the \u201cPaperback Writer\u201d and \u201cRain\u201d recording sessions at EMI Studio 3, Abbey Road on April 14, 1966. It features painted f-holes and horseshoe peghead characteristic of the 6120 model. Lennon gave this guitar to his cousin David Birch in November 1967 when Birch visited Lennon\u2019s home studio in Kenwood, Weybridge. Birch had asked Lennon for a spare guitar to start his own band; he had his eye on a Fender Stratocaster, but Lennon gave him the Gretsch instead. <\/p> The wood grain on this Gretch headstock can be matched precisely to photos from the recording session, providing conclusive authentication (wood grain being as unique as a fingerprint). It failed to sell at a 2014 TracksAuction when it didn\u2019t reach its $600,000 reserve; then Irsay purchased it directly from Birch for $530,000.<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $600,000 – $800,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> Used during mid-period Beatles recordings, it was part of Lennon\u2019s arsenal during the Revolver era.<\/p> Kept in Lennon\u2019s home, this piano was used to compose several songs on Sgt. Pepper\u2019s Lonely Hearts Club Band. <\/p> Written in black felt pen on a single sheet of white paper, this was the actual working lyric sheet used during the recording session at Trident Studios, London in July 1968. Unlike other \u201cHey Jude\u201d handwritten lyrics that have sold at auction, this is the studio working copy, with lines numbered 1 through 4, with notations including \u201cBREAK\u201d and \u201cEnding. Fading.\u201d The song was written for John Lennon\u2019s son Julian as comfort during John and Cynthia\u2019s divorce (originally titled \u201cHey Jules\u201d). McCartney gifted these lyrics to a Trident Studios engineer after the session.<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $600,000 – $1,000,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> The legal document that officially ended the Beatles containing <\/strong>handwritten annotations by Lennon, it was filed in court to force the dissolution of the Beatles\u2019 partnership and is perhaps the most emotionally significant Beatles document, marking the formal end of the greatest band in rock history.<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $100,000 – $150,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> Used by McCartney during his post-Beatles career<\/p> This rare page was written by Beatles road manager Mal Evans and contains several edits in McCartney\u2019s hand. <\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $20,000 – $30,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> Complete with all four members\u2019 signatures from the height of Beatlemania<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $30,000 – $50,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> Used by the Beatles during their Shea Stadium concert, the first stadium rock concert.<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $3,000 – $5,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> This modern H\u00f6fner bass signed by McCartney is evocative of his iconic H\u00f6fner 500\/1 violin bass.<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $8,000 – $12,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> Signed by George Harrison as \u201cGeorge\u201d<\/p> Pre-auction estimate: $30,000 – $60,000<\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul> While the Beatles artifacts form the emotional core of the collection, other offerings are equally spectacular. Kurt Cobain\u2019s 1966 Fender Mustang guitar<\/strong>, used during the recording of Nirvana\u2019s albums Nevermind<\/em> and In Utero <\/em>and featured in the \u201cSmells Like Teen Spirit\u201d video, carries the collection\u2019s highest estimate: $2.5 million to $5 million<\/strong>. Irsay purchased this instrument in 2022 for $6 million, with proceeds benefiting mental health awareness initiatives.<\/p> David Gilmour\u2019s \u201cBlack Strat\u201d<\/strong>\u2014instrumental in creating Pink Floyd\u2019s sound on The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, <\/em>and The Wall<\/em>\u2014is expected to bring $2 million to $4 million<\/strong>. The guitar was notably used for Gilmour\u2019s legendary solo on \u201cComfortably Numb.\u201d<\/p> Bob Dylan is represented by his 1964 Fender Stratocaster from the Newport Folk Festival<\/strong> performance on July 25, 1965, when he controversially \u201cwent electric\u201d before an audience of folk purists. The collection also includes Dylan\u2019s handwritten lyrics to \u201cThe Times They Are A-Changin\u2019\u201d (estimate: $500,000-$800,000).<\/p> Eric Clapton\u2019s psychedelic 1964 Gibson SG known as \u201cThe Fool,\u201d<\/strong> used with Cream in the late 1960s, and his 1939 C.F. Martin 000-42 played during his iconic MTV Unplugged performance each carry estimates of $800,000 to $1.2 million<\/strong>.<\/p> Prince\u2019s custom Yellow Cloud guitar<\/strong> is valued at $100,000 to $150,000, while Jerry Garcia\u2019s custom \u201cTiger\u201d guitar\u2014his main stage instrument from 1979 to 1989 and the last guitar he played at the Grateful Dead\u2019s final performance at Chicago\u2019s Soldier Field in 1995\u2014is estimated at $1 million to $2 million<\/strong>. Irsay\u2019s guitar collecting began in earnest with the purchase of this Garcia guitar in 2002 for $957,500.<\/p> Beyond music, the collection spans American cultural history. Jack Kerouac\u2019s original 120-foot typescript scroll for On The Road<\/strong> (estimate: $2.5-$4 million)\u2014written over 20 days in 1951 on taped-together tracing paper\u2014was Irsay\u2019s first major acquisition in May 2001. Other literary treasures include the only typescript of The Dharma Bums ($300,000-$500,000), Jim Morrison\u2019s 100-page handwritten journal ($100,000-$200,000), and Steve Jobs\u2019s introspective letter and signed Apple II Manual (combined estimates up to $1.3 million).<\/p> Sports and film memorabilia showcase defining American moments: Muhammad Ali\u2019s \u201cRumble in the Jungle\u201d championship belt<\/strong> ($2.5-$4 million), Secretariat\u2019s Triple Crown saddle<\/strong> ($1.5-$2 million), Jackie Robinson\u2019s 1953 bat ($250,000-$350,000), Stallone\u2019s handwritten Rocky script ($200,000-$400,000), and Hunter S. Thompson\u2019s \u201cRed Shark\u201d convertible from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ($150,000-$250,000).<\/p> The auction is slated for March 12. Jim Irsay inherited the Indianapolis Colts from his father, Robert, in 1997 and transformed the team into one of the NFL\u2019s most stable franchises. But it was his passion for collecting that truly defined his later years. He described himself not as an owner but as a \u201csteward\u201d of cultural artifacts, believing his role was to preserve and share these treasures with the public.<\/p> The decision to auction the collection was made by Irsay\u2019s three daughters\u2014Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson\u2014who now own the Colts. They described the decision as one reached through careful consideration and profound respect for their father\u2019s legacy. A portion of proceeds will be donated to philanthropic causes Irsay championed throughout his life, including mental health awareness initiatives.<\/p> Irsay himself once acknowledged the temporary nature of possessing such treasures, observing that no one takes their belongings with them when they die\u2014a recognition that he was merely a caretaker for a time.<\/p> Once valued at over $1 billion as a complete collection\u2014an offer Irsay famously turned down\u2014the individual items will now find new stewards. Christie\u2019s describes the sale as an extraordinary opportunity for collectors to become guardians of objects that have inspired generations and will continue to illuminate our shared creative heritage.<\/p> Rare John Lennon guitars and Ringo Starr\u2019s historic drum kits lead a world-class lineup of music history heading to the auction block in March<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amazonpipp_noncename":"","amazon-product-isactive":"","amazon-product-single-asin":"","amazon-product-content-location":"","amazon-product-content-hook-override":"","amazon-product-excerpt-hook-override":"","amazon-product-singular-only":"","amazon-product-amazon-desc":"","amazon-product-show-gallery":"","amazon-product-show-features":"","amazon-product-newwindow":"","amazon-product-show-list-price":"","amazon-product-show-used-price":"","amazon-product-show-saved-amt":"","amazon-product-timestamp":"","amazon-product-new-title":"","amazon-product-use-cartURL":"","amazon_featured_post_meta_key":"","_amazon_featured_alt":"","amazon-product-template":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[33,1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2x2Mt-ct0YY","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184231324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184231324"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184231324\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":194564243,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184231324\/revisions\/194564243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184231324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184231324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184231324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Beatles: Crown Jewels of the Collection<\/h2>
Ringo Starr\u2019s Drums:<\/h2>
The Ed Sullivan Show Drumhead<\/a><\/strong> (February 9, 1964)<\/h4>
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/cb6e182b-200c-42be-9f49-c9c8df3d0903_5688x3112.png?w=640&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>Ringo\u2019s First-Ever Ludwig \u201cDownbeat\u201d Kit<\/strong> (Oyster Black Pearl finish)<\/h4>
1964 Ludwig Jazz Festival Snare Drum<\/strong> (from Ringo\u2019s second kit)<\/h4>
Ringo\u2019s 9-Carat Gold and Sapphire Pinky Ring<\/strong><\/h4>
George Harrison\u2019s Guitars:<\/h2>
\u2022 1964 Gibson SG Standard<\/a><\/strong> (Serial #227666, Cherry Red finish)<\/h4>
1963 Maton MS-500 Mastersound Guitar<\/strong><\/h4>
John Lennon\u2019s Guitars:<\/h2>
1963 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120<\/a><\/strong> (Serial #53940, Western Orange finish)<\/h4>
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/51d363c3-96ec-459f-992c-42d1a491781f_5652x3104.png?w=640&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>1964 Rickenbacker Rose Morris Model 1996<\/strong><\/h4>
c. 1869 John Broadwood & Sons Upright Piano<\/strong><\/h4>
Paul McCartney Items:<\/h2>
\u2022 Handwritten Studio Lyrics for \u201cHey Jude\u201d<\/a><\/strong> (1968).<\/h4>
\u2022 McCartney\u2019s 1970 Affidavit to Dissolve The Beatles<\/strong><\/h4>
1979 Yamaha BB-1200 Bass Guitar<\/strong><\/h4>
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/bdba42d7-5b84-4b2c-9c13-2c5ae5b9b498_5592x2973.png?w=640&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>Additional Beatles Memorabilia: <\/h2>
Working Lyrics for \u201cMaxwell\u2019s Silver Hammer\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>
Liverpool Airport Poster Signed by All Four Beatles<\/strong> (1964)<\/h4>
Umpire\u2019s Locker from Shea Stadium<\/strong> (1965)<\/h4>
H\u00f6fner \u201cBeatles\u201d Bass with Pickguard Signed by McCartney<\/strong><\/h4>
Ringo\u2019s RIAA Gold Record for \u201cI Want To Hold Your Hand\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>
Beyond the Beatles: Rock Royalty<\/h2>
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/a5b71b86-d858-49f2-bc51-ac32dfb1f574_5650x3062.png?w=640&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>Beyond the Beatles: Cultural Icons and American Legends<\/h2>
The Legacy of a Collector<\/h2>
Visit my Beatles Store:<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/02bced6e-aec7-483e-b9f1-457a36950524_1200x300.jpeg?w=640&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"