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JOHN LENNON PIANO TO SELL IN BEATLES AUCTION

(Entered April 28, 2002)

Photo from Fox.com

NEW YORK — From their old suits to the document registering the name "The Beatles" in the U.S., a Sotheby's auction boasts many of the Beatles' most prized possessions.

More than a hundred pieces of rock history are on the block and are being billed as the last great Beatles sale from private hands. Autographs, handwritten notes, photographs, signed albums, tickets, clothing, instruments and awards are among the items up for grabs.

"It took us say 10 years to put the high-end items together [for the auction]," said Bob Schagrin, president of Gotta Have It! auction house, which provided the items for the sale. "We went to Sothebys about eight months ago and said, 'We'd really like to do a celebration of The Beatles.' We didn't anticipate that Paul McCartney would be playing at Madison Square Garden during this time."

"I think The Beatles will still be listened to for 400 years just like Beethoven and Bach, which means people will still be interested in them," said Leila Dunbar of Sotheby's.

And the items are not only for sale. They are on display for all to see at Sotheby's New York headquarters through May 2.

"It's not only for people who want to buy, but they can also go have a look at some really awesome collectibles," Schagrin said.

— The brown wool suits worn by the band in the cover of their first LP, Please, Please Me: Estimated price: $280,000.
— Original RIAA gold record for "Hey Jude": $8,000 - $10,000
— The Album of the Year Grammy for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: $80,000 - $100,000
— The Steinway & Sons piano on which John Lennon composed his last album: $500,000

"It's hard to put a price on art," said Bruce Schnittman as he perused the items on display. "It's hard to put a price on something as unique as these."

The story behind Lennon's Steinway is particularly unique, said Schagrin. Lennon specially ordered the piano from a Steinway store in Manhattan. Yoko Ono kept the piano until well after his death, but in 1985 as a promotion for her album Starpeace, created a give-away contest with the piano as the prize. A North Dakota woman won the drawing and kept the piano until 1996 when a collector bought it from her. Now that collector is auctioning off the piano.

"This is the exceedingly rare instance where you have documented that this [piano] is really [Lennon's], where it was purchased and when it was purchased...And that is everything when you are buying an investment grade collectable," Schagrin said.

Also up for grabs is Lennon's electric keyboard along with his notes about the vibrato that doesn't work. It still doesn't work, but now it's worth $50,000.

If you don't have thousands of dollars to spend, there are still tidbits to be picked up. There's everything from a 1966 Suffolk Downs concert ticket that's expected to go for $200-$300 to a Hard Day's Night screening ticket for about $150, and some novelty items like a set of 1964 Beatles birthday cake figurines expected to bring in $300.

"This is really a people's auction," Schagrin said. "The items do go across the full price point spectrum. It's something for everyone."

"SEASON OF GLASS" COVER PHOTO SELLS AT AUCTION

(Entered April 17, 2002)

LONDON (Reuters) - A poignant photograph of John Lennon's blood-spattered spectacles taken by his widow after the singer's murder sold at auction for $12,720 Wednesday. Bonhams auction house said an unnamed American buyer bought the photograph after reading about it in The New York Times last weekend. The image, one of only six prints, shows John's glasses beside a glass of water on a table set against a New York skyline. Yoko took the photograph in the couple's New York apartment and used the photo for her emotional 1981 album "Season of Glass." The proceeds of the sale will be donated to Artist Residencies of Tokyo, a charity that supports aspiring artists in Japan, where Ono was born. ($1=.6926 Pound) The photograph was put up for auction by Johnnie Walker, a fund-raiser for ART.

YOKO HONORED AT DINNER

(Entered April 15, 2002)

(Thanks to Richard Joly, Onovox, Onoweb)

Summer Artists Program APRIL 23 -

Yoko Ono is to be among those honored at a dinner at the Plaza to raise money for the scholarship fund of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. It operates a summer residential program for 65 artists. The
black-tie affair begins with drinks at 7, with dinner at 8. Tickets, $500, from (212) 245-6570, ext. 21.

SEASON OF GLASS COVER PHOTO TO BE SOLD AT AUCTION

(Entered April 12, 2002)

From Yahoo.com

A photograph of John Lennon's blood-spattered glasses taken by Yoko after John was gunned down by a demented "fan" is to be auctioned in London for an artists' charity. Yahoo reports that Bonhams' auction house expects the picture, one of only six prints, to fetch up to $14,000 when it goes under the hammer April 17.

The photo shows the glasses John was wearing on the night he was killed sitting beside a glass of water on a table set against the window of John and Yoko's apartment in the Dakota building near Central Park, revealing a blurred view of the Manhattan skyline in the background. Yoko used the photo as the cover illustration for her album "Season of Glass," which she released in 1981. A spokeswoman for Bonhams said the photograph has since earned iconic reverence among Lennon fans.

Of the six copies printed under Yoko's personal supervision in 1994, she retained one and gave four to close friends of the couple. The sixth print — the one up for auction — was bought in a private sale by Johnnie Walker, a fund-raiser for Artist Residencies of Tokyo, or ART. Walker agreed to abide by Yoko's wish that he would only ever sell the picture to raise funds for ART, a nonprofit organization that helps support Japanese artists.

Yoko set up the photo near a window of her apartment in keeping with the ancient Oriental tradition of the Butsudan, or household family altar. In Buddhist homes, the Butsudan serves as a repository for the souls of deceased family members who are worshipped daily. According to Bonhams, the glass of water represented the food and drink intended to feed the souls of the dead.

YOKO IN 9/11 TV AD...A UNION CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS THE CAMPAIGN

(Entered April 10, 2002)

(Thanks to Richard at Onovox)

Headlined "9/11 STARS DEFY UNION BULLIES"..the New York Post's Page Six featured an item in their Gossip column about a new TV public service announcement dealing with the September 11th terrorist attack in New York City. SAG...the Screen Actor's Guild...insisted that only SAG members could appear in the TV spot, but John Grossman, whose production company, The Firm, is producing the campaign, defied the union and used everyday citizens. Titled "Imagine New York" and sponsored by the Municipal Art Society, the ad campaign is meant to share ideas for rebuilding lower Manhattan and memorializing the World Trade Center tragedy. Set to air next week on the major networks, the spot stars Harvey Keitel, Kevin Bacon, Richard Belzer, Bebe Neuwirth, Peter Boyle, and Yoko Ono (who lent the first three bars of John Lennon's "Imagine" as background music). In addition to the famous people, the ad features non-famous Municipal Art Society members - who don't have a SAG card and would have been edited out if SAG had its way.

Grossman was once a SAG signatory - meaning he'd signed an agreement to only employ SAG members in his productions - but says it's no longer valid. SAG doesn't agree, however. Grossman's production manager, Rob Christoph, called SAG "bastards" for trying to bully them into submission. "SAG is under the impression that they have some control over the project, but they don't," says one production insider.

SAG spokesperson Ilyanne Kichaven says, "PSAs do fall under SAG contracts and SAG jurisdiction. I find it hard to understand how SAG members could work in a non-SAG production, since that's counter to SAG's Rule One."

Rule One states that "members will be required to ensure that a producer is a SAG signatory and to get a SAG contract wherever they work in order to get the protections of SAG's agreements."

Meanwhile, one Hollywood insider told Page Six that SAG has threatened producers of the numerous other 9/11-related productions, among them HBO, CBS, Showtime and Goldie Hawn-produced specials, warning them that it's all SAG or nothing.

JOHN LENNON-BEATLE ITEMS IN AUCTION

(Entered April 7, 2002)

(From Yahoo)

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A lifetime's worth of rock and roll memorabilia goes on sale in Sydney this month when rarities ranging from Michael Hutchence's Harley Davidson to a jacket worn by John Denver hit the auction block.

The Dave Norman collection includes telegrams from promoters to Beatles manager Brian Epstein bidding for concerts and letters relating to a bill from the Deauville Hotel in Miami that went unpaid for five months after the Beatles stayed there. Auctioneers Goodmans said on the auction Web site that the sale of 458 lots would take place on April 15.

Norman, a former disc jockey, started collecting 30 years ago but wants to move overseas without having to worry about a collection that now fills a 300 square meter warehouse. "The collection has really restricted my travel," he told Friday's The Sydney Morning Herald. According to the auction catalog, most items are autographed posters and records but there are also some unusual gems.

They include a signed publishing contract by John Lennon for Wild Honey Pie, which was eventually sung by Paul McCartney, John Denver's personal Spring Tour 1978 jacket, a Drizabone rainproof jacket made for Celine Dion and a signed recording contract for The Doors, including Jim Morrison.

"REAL LOVE" JEWELERY ON THE HORIZON

(Entered April 7, 2002)

(From Onovox)

Be watching for Lennon branded jewelry from a company called JewelAmerica. The company will launch the line in June according to a report by USA Today's Theresa Howard. The "line is priced at $49 to $149," and will feature "affordable metals" sold through "mass retail outlets." The pieces include bracelets, cuff links, necklaces and a collection of etched silver pictures and picture frames." The artwork is derived from the sketches created by John for Sean, that were previously published in a book, "Real Love: The Drawings for Sean."

JewelAmerica's Rachel Wertheimer thinks the line might also begin a new chapter in the jewelry category: "Unlike watches and apparel, jewelry has never really been branded," she says. However, branding consultant Al Ehrbar thinks it will be a hard row to hoe: "The Lennon name would help most anything at first pass. But it's hard to see this as a huge winner. The association of Lennon with jewelry is a reach."

From MAINTAIN MAGAZINE
Front Cover

YOKO TALKS TO UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDENT NEWSPAPER

(ENTERED 3/31/02)

(Thanks to Phil Biebl)

The Badger Herald newspaper's Maintain Magazine featured "An intimate conversation with Yoko Ono" in their Tuesday, March 12, 2002 edition. Maintain's Matthew Rodbard spoke with Yoko about the Orange Factory Remix OPEN YOUR BOX and other pertinent topics.

Asked how she felt having the OPEN YOUR BOX remix top the U.S. dance charts, Yoko responded: "This is so amazing, I can't believe it's happening. The Orange Factory came to me and told me they wanted to do 'Open Your Box,' and I was like, that's interesting, but I agreed and of course, wanted to hear it before it was released. The first one, when they brought it to me, I started to cry. I have been doing this thing for 30 years, and nobody understood me. They were like, 'Yoko is screaming again.' And so we have some cutting edge people really understanding me, and putting it together right."

Speaking about how people in the art world are less cynical since the September 11th terrorist attacks, Rodbard asked Yoko if she means that criticism dies during a time of national tragedy.

Yoko: "Critics are supposed to encourage artists. For the longest time, critics felt they were supposed to be smartasses. It's nice when they become encouraging. Oh course, I should have built up a thick skin by now from being criticized for 30, no 40 years (laughing). But really, my skin is thin and I think artists are like that. It's terrible when they kind of knock you, because we are putting in such an effort to make a piece, and when it's not understood, it hurts."

Asked if there are plans for future re-releases of John and Yoko material, Yoko responded: "That's actually why I'm in London. I came out here to re-release some of John's stuff. Some (rumors) have come out, but it will be a surprise."

Rodbard asked Yoko what goes in to re-releasing a record.

Yoko: "It's a lot of work. First of all, you have to be very aware of staying faithful to the original recording. Even the master tapes are a little different now, faded and this that and the other. The sound has to be clear and just as loud as the releases coming out now. It's a challenge, because you don't want to go too far, you just want to enhance it."

Mr. Rodbard tells Yoko he is 21 and was not around during John's lifetime. He asked Yoko how his generation should actualize John Lennon as a person.

Yoko: "I'm very happy you guys are looking into John's work. John as a person? You don't have to know what he is eating and what he put in his coffee. When you listen to his music and listen to his lyrics and look at his artwork, you create your own idea of what he is. If you have your own image of John, that is all you have to have. John's existence for your generation is to inspire you."

Asked to compare John to a current music figure, political activist or anybody else well-known in 2002, Yoko responded: "No, I'm sorry, I can't. I am looking around thinking, 'Why is there nobody like John around?' The thing is, he is portrayed in a very unfair way. In his case, whenever he was a bad boy, there was a big caption in the paper, in big letters. He had the biggest heart that I know. He was really affectionate. But that affection was not always concentrated on me. He was very caring about the band and the world. His heart was beating for the world."

About Sean's efforts to be himself, Yoko said, "It has been tough for him to maintain his independence. Most people will think of him as John Lennon and Yoko Ono's son, which is true. But he wants to have an identity that is his also."

Rodbard concludes the interview with a comment that the DJ's who are now remixing Yoko's work are granting a wish that she finally be understood. Yoko: "Yeah. After 40 years they finally are. But it was such a lonely trip. I admit that I was naive back then to think that people would understand it. But I can never do that trip again. I don't want to create something that will be understood in 30 years (laughing). Not 30 year, but three years. Not 40 years, but 4 years."

PAUL SAYS BEATLES WANTED TO FILM "LORD OF THE RINGS"

(Entered March 31, 2002)

It was reported that during the Academy Awards ceremonies in Hollywood last Sunday night, Paul McCartney told the director of the recent "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" movie that the Beatles had desired at one time to make a version of the story starring John, Paul, George and Ringo. Paul says that he would have played Frodo, while John wanted to play the slithering creature who lost the ring, Gollum. Ringo was to play Frodo's sidekick Sam and George would have been the wizard, Gandalf. Paul says J.R.R. Tolkien did not approve the Beatles' proposal.

JOHN'S COUSIN SPEAKS TO THE HERALD

(Entered March 31, 2002)

(Thanks to Richard at Onovox)

Stanley Parkes, Scottish cousin of John Lennon, speaks with The Herald about his experiences with the pre-famous John Lennon. He tosses in some bitter words about Yoko and the unveiling of the JOL statue at Liverpool's airport, now named for one of Liverpool's most famous sons. "Why she was invited to unveil the statue and not one member of John's family was present amazes me." Isn't it also amazing that John's widow and the woman he loved and had a child with is not considered family? Ah well...

An excerpt from The Herald piece:

"To the world Lennon was and still is a cultural icon. However, to Stan Parkes he was the beloved younger cousin who would tag along on trips to the barber or for a kick about in the park. When the Beatles played in Scotland in their early days, Stan, then living in Edinburgh and working in the motor trade, would drive John to meet George, Paul, and Ringo before enduring scratches and lipstick messages being scrawled on his bonnet by hysterical fans. 'Paul's girlfriend at that time, the actress Jane Asher, was lovely,' chips in Stan's wife, Janet as she offers more tea. 'I would say that George was my favourite of the boys, he was a real gentleman.' "

Parkes has put together 12 intimate portraits of John Lennon for a special family plaque that is to go on-line in a month and will also be available to buy.

Full article The Herald

NME BEATLES SPECIAL ISSUE

(Entered March 31, 2002)

(Thanks to Richard Joly, Onoweb)

Currently on newsstands, a NME (New Musical Express) edition about the Beatles which features reproductions of articles published in their magazine from the late 1960's onward. The issue includes many pages on John and Yoko, including interviews with John, reviews of their projects and records.

ACADEMY AWARDS APPEARANCE FOR YOKO AND PAUL

(Entered 3/25/02)

It was a sort of John and Yoko - Beatle night at the 74th Annual Academy Awards Sunday (March 24).

Paul was there in the audience with fiance Heather Mills. He was up for an Oscar for his movie song, "Vanilla Sky" which he performed with a small backup band. But before Paul's performance, Yoko appeared in a short film clip as part of an ongoing feature - famous and everyday people discussing what the movies mean to them.

Yoko said her first film was "Pinocchio." She said that like the wooden puppet coming to life and becoming human, we all should become more human and care for each other.

Paul did not win the Oscar - it went instead to Randy Newman for his song from the animated film, Monsters Inc. Newman had been nominated 16 times before and received a standing ovation when he appeared onstage to accept his Oscar.

All four Beatles were shown from the "Let it Be" sessions during a montage about documentaries and George Harrison was featured prominently at the end of a segment dedicated to the memories of filmmakers who had died since Oscar 2001.

More:
YOKO Attends
The Unveiling of
Liverpool John Lennon
Airport Statue

From Ananova

Yoko has bought John Lennon's childhood home to save it for England.

Yoko, who visited Liverpool on Friday (March 15, 2002), has bought the house in the city where he lived with his Aunt Mimi, 251 Menlove Avenue.

She had wanted to ensure the house - where John wrote the early Beatles hit "Please Please Me" - remained in the hands of the people of Liverpool and she has donated it to the National Trust.

There had been fears that the property would go to someone who may have had little sympathy for its unique place in the history of popular music. At one stage there were concerns that a private overseas company would buy it.

Yoko gave her backing to a campaign to save the building when she visited John's old school Dovedale Primary last year and received an honorary degree from Liverpool University.

The house - where John's teen band The Quarry Men and then The Beatles rehearsed - had been on the market for months and is thought to have cost in excess of £150,000. Lennon has described the home as "a nice semi-detached place with a small garden". He wrote "Please Please Me" in the bedroom.

Yoko worked anonymously through a third party to secure the property as a reminder of his work and links to the city.

She said: "I am thrilled that we have managed to buy John's main childhood home. It is especially pleasing that we will be able to keep such an important part of John's and The Beatles' history intact and out of the hands of unsympathetic private developers.

"I think Menlove Avenue has an important place in Beatles history and it saddened me to think that it might be lost. The fact that this is happening in the same week that Liverpool Airport is officially opened as Liverpool John Lennon Airport would have made my husband very happy."

YOKO IN LIVERPOOL TO UNVEIL AIRPORT STATUE OF JOHN LENNON

(Entered 3/15/02)

Thanks to Richard Joly, Onoweb - Larry McGahey - Richard Layne, Onoweb

From Liverpool Echo - by Neil Hodgson, March 15, 2002

YOKO ONO today unveiled the "brilliant" statue of John Lennon that will greet visitors flying into Liverpool.

She was in the city today with Prime Minister's wife Cherie Blair for the official ceremony at the city's airport - renamed Liverpool John Lennon Airport last year.

The seven foot high Lennon statue completes the first phase of the airport's expansion, which includes a £32m passenger terminal.

Cast in bronze, it was crafted by Merseyside sculptor Tom Murphy and will be positioned on the main passenger walkway to greet people entering the airport.

Speaking in the shadow of a huge electronic advertising hoarding which flashed an image of John and the slogan Give Peace a Chance, Yoko said: "I hope this will promote world peace for Liverpool and the world and lead to understanding that will give love and peace."

She described the sculpture - the only statue of John ever to be approved by her - as excellent and brilliant.

She also said she was glad Mrs Blair could join her. She added: " I have been a big admirer of Cherie's for a long time."

Mrs Blair, dressed in a red trouser suit said: "This is such a special occasion to be here back in Liverpool.

"I was born in Bury but at six weeks old I came to Liverpool so all through my rebellious years it was a tremendous time to be in Liverpool, because the Beatles and John Lennon represented the best of the Merseyside character."

She added: "Liverpool is a great vibrant city and I am particularly pleased to be here today to witness the renaming of the Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

"As a teenager I saw Yoko as a hero of mine on the television."

Yoko with Cherie Blair, wife of Britain's
Prime Minister Tony Blair

From BBC:

A statue of John Lennon now overlooks the check-in hall at the airport that bears his name, after being unveiled by his widow Yoko Ono on Friday.

Ono was joined by the prime minister's wife Cherie Blair when she revealed the seven-foot bronze sculpture at John Lennon Airport, in the former Beatle's home city of Liverpool. The statue stands on a walkway in a new £32.5m terminal in the airport, which was renamed last year.

The unveiling comes after the news that Ono has bought Lennon's childhood home and donated it to the National Trust.

The statue was created by sculptor Tom Murphy and shows Lennon in his trademark round glasses and a casual suit with greased-back hair.

Ono told the BBC: "It's not like an ordinary statue - it has the feeling of John on the move. "What a beautiful idea."

Communication

Ono said the renaming of the airport would "promote the growth of international communication for Liverpool and for the world".

"Communication and exchanging will lead to understanding and understanding will create love and peace."

The airport's new logo is a sketch of Lennon's face, and its slogan is "Above us only sky", taken from his classic hit Imagine.

Asked whether the humanist sentiment might offend religious groups, Ono said that people of all religions should "hug each other".

"It is a time for all people of all religions to hug each other and if you are not religious then hug a tree or something, " she said.

Airport owners Peel Holdings said the change of name was a "fitting and lasting tribute" to the murdered star.

Memorial

Cherie Blair, who helped Ono unveil the statue, said that Lennon had been an influence during her "rebellious teenage years".

Another memorial to the murdered musician is in the pipeline after Ono bought the house where Lennon lived as a child: Menlove Avenue, where Lennon lived with his Aunt Mimi.

LIVERPOOL, England

From Reuters:

Yoko unveiled a bronze statue of John Lennon on Friday (March 15, 2002) to mark the renaming of Liverpool airport in his honor.

Lennon in a suit and T-shirt, accompanied by the lyric "Above us only sky" from John's iconic song "Imagine," complete the airport's rebranding as "Liverpool John Lennon airport."

The statue of the songsmith in his New York days, striding out with long hair swept back, overlooks the check-in hall in a new $43 million terminal.

"This is a very joyous day," said Lennon's widow Ono, who recently bought his childhood home in Liverpool and donated it to British heritage organization the National Trust.

Almost 2.5 million passengers a year are expected to pass through the re-named airport.

The Beatles were early jet-setters, routinely greeted at airports by legions of screaming fans.

But globe-trotting became a means of escape from the paparazzi for Lennon and Ono, chronicled by Lennon in "The Ballad of John and Yoko."

"John will be up there in the sky laughing at the whole thing -- in a good way," said Mike Byrne, director of the Beatles' museum in Liverpool, adding he was delighted that years of campaigning for the name change had finally borne fruit.

Yoko with newly unveiled Liverpool John Lennon Airport Statue

From Liverpool Echo

(From CNN.com)

LONDON, England -- Yoko Ono, the widow of former Beatle John Lennon, has leased a billboard in the heart of London to promote the singer's message of world peace.

The board space at Piccadilly Circus -- surrounded by flashing neon signs of multi-national companies -- is said to have cost the artist and performer Ono £150,000 ($225,000) to hire.

Her poster reads "Imagine all the people living life in peace," reflecting the message from Lennon's chart-topping song "Imagine" first released in 1971.

"After the horrible events of September 11, I thought it was a very important time to remind people of this message, because the world needs peace," Ono told The Associated Press.

The artist has previously placed similar messages in New York and Tokyo in her native Japan, quoting her husband, who was shot dead in 1980 as the couple returned to their Manhattan apartment.

She said: "I first put the billboard in Times Square -- it's still up there -- and then in Tokyo, with the same message in Japanese and English.

"I wanted it in London because it's a city that I have a special love for and have fond memories of," she said.