Jim Irsay's pricey collection of music memorabilia just got bigger.
The Indianapolis Colts owner tweeted Saturday morning that he is now the steward of the piano John Lennon used to compose songs for the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.
"I’m elated to now be the steward of John’s “Sgt. Pepper” upright piano," Irsay tweeted. "It’s a responsibility I take seriously, with future generations in mind. #GettingThemBackTogether #Beatles"
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Why Jim Irsay spent $2.4M: On a manuscript with pencil scrawls in the margins
The piano, made by John Broadwood & Sons, was up for auction at GottaHaveRockandRoll.com. It dates circa 1872 and was in Lennon's Kenwood and Tittenhurst Park homes. It is believed he acquired the piano circa 1966, according to the auction site.
The minimum required bid for the piano was $575,000, and the site estimated it would sell for between $800,000 and $1.2 million. A Colts source would not confirm how much Irsay paid for the piano, and the price had not been disclosed publicly as of Saturday afternoon.
I’m elated to now be the steward of John’s “Sgt. Pepper” upright piano. It’s a responsibility I take seriously, with future generations in mind. #GettingThemBackTogether#Beatles
Irsay has long been a collector of music memorabilia.
In 2016, he purchased the Yellow Cloud electric guitar that Prince used in concerts from the late-1980s until the mid-1990s for $137,500. In 2002, he paid $957,000 for Jerry Garcia's one-of-a-kind "Tiger" guitar. And in 2013, he purchased the Fender Stratocaster used by Bob Dylan in the 1965 Newport Folk Festival for $965,000.
In all, Irsay has about 200 guitars in his collection.
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