The Steinway piano Elton John used during his Dodger Stadium and Live Aid shows has sold at auction for $US915,000 ($AUD1,236,000).
The Elton Steinway was offered for auction by Heritage Auctions.
Elton played two sold-out Dodger Stadium shows in Los Angeles in 1975 in front of over 100,000 people including his parents. This was the piano he played at Madison Square Garden when John Lennon joined him for three songs ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ and ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’. It was Lennon’s last ever performance.
The piano was used by another Beatle when Paul McCartney used it to perform ‘Let It Be’ at Live Aid.
In 1977 Freddie Mercury borrowed the piano from Elton for Queen’s 1977 A Day At The Races tour.
Steinway originally loaned Elton the piano but after travelling the world with it after three years he bought it and customized it. He even had it signed before the sale. Sir Elton signed the piano on the gilded cast-iron frame. In permanent black ink, he wrote, “Enjoy this as much as I have, Elton John.”
The piano was eventually bought by engineer Curtis Schwartz who was only advised of its hertitage after he became the owner. “I was only happy it was a great piano,” Schwartz says now. “I just assume Elton John would have a piano in every city, and this was just one of his, like, 122 pianos.”
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