Colts Owner Jim Irsay Bought John Lennon's 'Sgt. Pepper's' Piano
I read the news today, oh boy, about a lucky man named Jim Irsay.
OK, so the Colts' owner isn't actually included in the opening lines of "A Day in the Life," but he now has ties to the classic song. Irsay recently purchased John Lennon's upright piano that the rock star used to compose The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, often considered the greatest album of all time.
Irsay tweeted on Saturday that he was "elated" to be the new owner of the piano, saying, "It's a responsibility I take seriously, with future generations in mind."
According to The Indianapolis Star, the piano was auctioned on GottaHaveRockandRoll.com with the minimum bid starting at $575,000. The website estimated the piano would sell between $800,000 and $1.2 million. The piano dates back to 1872, and it is believed that Lennon acquired it in 1966. TMZ reported that Irsay bought the piano for $718,750.
Irsay is a huge Beatles fan and previously purchased Ringo Starr's drum set for $2.25 million. He also purchased one of the drummer's pinky rings and a guitar Lennon gave Starr.