This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2018
There have been countless debates throughout time, all across the world, as to who is the greatest guitarist of all time, or who is the greatest baseball player ever, the greatest quarterback, the best drummer, the best actor, the best actress, the best president, the greatest classical composer, and the list can go on and on. Debates such as these will most likely never be settled because there can never be a single, clear-cut answer. But if you ask about the greatest entertainment legacy in history, I think there is most definitely a concrete, indisputable answer: the Beatles. Never before had the world witnessed a phenomenon even remotely similar to what came to be known as Beatlemania, and quite likely, the world never will again. The Beatles are universally recognized as the foremost, most influential musical group of all time, virtually synonymous with rock and roll and perhaps even all of music. They are the biggest selling act of all time, with estimated sales of over 800 million physical and digital albums worldwide. They have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles than any other act; they are the best-selling act in the United States with over 178 million certified units, and they are the recipients of seven Grammy awards. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four members have also been inducted individually. They are simply the epitome of musical achievement, the paradigm of all things rock and roll. And the entire experience took place in just 10 short years! From their earliest residence in Hamburg, Germany in 1960, with drummer Pete Best behind the kit, to their first British hit in 1962, "Love Me Do" and the equally innocent "I Want To Hold Your Hand" which became their first American hit, they basically became an overnight sensation. Indeed, on their first visit to the United States, they flew out of London's Heathrow airport in front of an estimated 4,000 screaming and waving fans, and they were greeted in New York by an equally uproarious crowd. They gave their first live US television performance on February 9, 1964, on the Ed Sullivan show, an event watched by approximately 73 million viewers in approximately 23 million households, or an astonishing 34% of the population! While their musical style would continually evolve and change, to many fans, it's the early, innocent material that is held dear to the heart. But enough of the introduction; it is now time to turn to the featured item in this auction lot. Presented is an astonishing early example of all four members signed together on a single piece, a spectacular hotel register dated 3/17/1963. Having given up on Pete Best, their new drummer Richard Starkey aks Ringo Starr was on the skins, and he has signed this register R. Starkey, a nice touch to the item. All four signatures present wonderfully in blue ballpoint ink, and in case you want to take a visit to their former homes, their addresses are also present! The page itself measures 10 1/2" x 9" and is presented in a double-sided frame for full viewing of the back. Framed size is 16" x 32 1/2" and also included is a full ticket from their August 18, 1966 performance at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, MA. Any item with all four Beatles signatures is highly desirable and collectible, and this one has the added touch of Sir Richard Starkey singing his real name. A truly unique and captivating item, offered in stunningly well-preserved condition, this is a fantastic piece of music history that deserves a place in the most advanced of rock and roll memorabilia collections. LOA James Spence Authentication (JSA).