The Beatles' handwritten 'Hey Jude' lyrics sell for $910,000 at auction
Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics to The Beatles‘ hit 1968 single ‘Hey Jude’ have sold for $910,000 (£731,000) at a New York auction.
The Julien’s Auctions sale went for nine times its original estimate yesterday (April 10). Jason Watkins, a music specialist for the auction house, said McCartney’s notes were scribbled as a guide for a 1968 studio recording of the song and were very rare and valuable.
SOLD for $910,000! Handwritten lyrics to the 1968 Beatles hit “Hey Jude” written by Paul McCartney in black felt pen and…
Posted by Julien's Auctions on Friday, April 10, 2020
Another top-fetching item was John Lennon and Yoko Ono‘s drawing Bagism, a term they coined to satirise stereotyping, which sold for $93,750 (£75,319).
The event was supposed to take place at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square before being moved to an online-only auction due to the coronavirus.
The lyrics and artwork were among more than 250 items of Beatles memorabilia on sale to mark the 50th anniversary of the band’s breakup.
A vintage bass drumhead with The Beatles’ logo that was used during their first North American tour in 1964 was another top item in the auction, selling for $200,000 (£160,000).
Also included in the auction was the wooden stage of the small Liverpool venue where the band performed before they shot to fame, which sold for $25,600 (£22,491).
In other news, George Harrison’s Material World Foundation has donated $500,000 to a series of charities providing much needed aid and care during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
