A piano used by John Lennon for composing some of most notable songs for The Beatles fetched a record $3.2 million at a Christie’s auction in New York.

The piano, which was expected to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000, sold for almost $3.3 million (£2.5 million), becoming the most expensive object from The Beatles to be sold.

Lennon used the Broadwood upright piano to compose hits songs such as “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” “A Day In The Life,” and “Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!,” which featured on The Beatles’ eighth studio album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The piano was among the items sold as part of The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame, which also included a drum kit by fellow Beatle Ringo Starr and other music, film and sports memorabilia.

Sir Ringo’s first Ludwig drum kit sold for nearly $2.4 million (£1.8 million) at the auction.

Source: RTT Music News

Billy Joel’s daughter has revealed that the music legend is “doing great” amid his battle with a brain disorder.

Joel is battling the rare brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).

“He’s doing physical therapy regularly and he’s doing great,” Joel’s daughter Alexa Ray told the Hollywood Reporter during an interview. “He’s lost weight as he’s on his diet.”

Joel’s condition, which impacts his balance, vision and hearing, forced the cancellation of his planned 2025 tour dates.

She continued, “I’m so proud of him. He’s such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. He’s a fighter. He’s always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how life’s like a fight.”

Alexa Ray gave the update on her dad’s condition on the eve of Thursday night’s, March 12, tribute fundraiser, “The Music of Billy Joel” which took place at Carnegie Hall and featured Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas, Matt Nathanson, Train’s Pat Monahan, Sammy Rae, Rufus Wainwright, O.A.R.’s Mark Roberge, Jon McLaughlin, Wyclef Jean and others playing the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s songs.

Source: RTT Music News

Legendary vocalist and 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Lou Gramm, best known as the iconic voice of Foreigner, recently released “Time Heals The Pain,” the third single from his forthcoming solo album, Released.

Released is set to drop on March 27 in Digital Album, Dolby Atmos Album, CD (HNE Recordings / Cherry Red Records), and Vinyl (Friday Music) formats.

A soaring, emotionally charged rock ballad built on sweeping melodies, luminous keyboards, and Gramm’s unmistakable, deeply expressive vocals, “Time Heals The Pain” captures the reflective heart and enduring power that have long defined one of rock’s most distinctive voices. Balancing tenderness with strength, the track unfolds as a moving meditation on love, reconciliation, and the healing passage of time.

“Time Heals The Pain” was written by Gramm and longtime collaborator and former Black Sheep bandmate Bruce Turgon.

Released marks the long-awaited completion of a pivotal chapter in Gramm’s solo catalog. Produced by Gramm with associate producer Matthew Gramm, the album features ten original songs co-written with Turgon, originally recorded during the 1980s in the wake of his solo releases Ready Or Not (1987) and Long Hard Look(1989).

Gramm will tour throughout 2026 in support of Released, including solo dates and special appearances with Foreigner. Full tour dates will be announced soon.

Released Tracklisting:

1. Young Love

2. Lightning Strikes

3. Walk The Walk

4. Long Gone

5. Heart And Soul

6. Long Hard Look

7. True Blue Love (Unplugged)

8. Deeper Side of Love

9. Time Heals The Pain

10. Word Gets Around

Source: RTT Music News

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour’s iconic Black Strat has fetched a whopping $14.5 million at an auction of guitars belonging to the late Jim Irsay, former owner of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.

The staggering figure makes Gilmour’s Black Strat the most expensive guitar ever sold at an auction.

The guitar, which Gilmour played on Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall, was previously sold for $3,975,000 at a Christie’s auction in 2019, during a sale of 127 items from Gilmour’s personal collection to raise money for ClientEarth, a group of lawyers and environmental experts fighting against climate change to protect nature and the environment.

A portion of the proceeds of the latest sale, which smashed the $6 million price paid in 2020 for the equally iconic 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic played by Kurt Cobain during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged show, will be donated to philanthropic causes.

Other guitars in Irsay’s collection include a Doug Irwin guitar played by Jerry Garcia during his final show with the Grateful Dead, sold for $11.5 million at the auction.

Other sales at the latest auction include a 1964 Rickenbacker owned by John Lennon ($1.27m), a 1964 Gibson SG used by George Harrison ($2.27m), a one-off Vox made for the Beatles in 1966 ($600k), Eric Clapton’s “The Fool” Gibson SG ($3m), the Fender Mustang played by Kurt Cobain on Smells Like Teen Spirit ($6m) and a Martin 000-42 acoustic guitar used by Eric Clapton used on his MTV Unplugged album ($4.1m).

Source: RTT Music News

Universal Pictures is working on a Bon Jovi biopic, and according to reports, Jon Bon Jovi is actively participating in the project and Universal will have access to the band’s music library.

The movie will trace the band’s formative years through their rise to superstardom.

Cody Brotter, who first got notice for his Black List script Drudge, has been assigned to write the script for the upcoming project.

Kevin J. Walsh, who produced The Instigators and the Oscar-winning Manchester by the Sea, and Gotham Chopra are producing the Bon Jovi biopic.

Chopra, who is a co-founder of Religion of Sports, directed the Hulu docuseries “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” which profiled the band from its origins to Jon’s vocal struggles that plagued him during their 2022 tour.

Source: RTT Music News