Letter offering drummer Beatles audition sells for £34k

By Rich Chamberlain
published

Handwritten note sold at auction

Beatles

Beatles

© Norman Parkinson/Sygma/Corbis

How much is an offer to join the Beatles worth? Well a letter giving one mystery drummer the chance to do just that has just been sold at auction for almost £35,000.

The letter, written by Paul McCartney, dates back to August 1960 when an unknown sticksman was offered the opportunity to audition for the band.

That time period means it was written two years before Ringo took up the Beatles hotseat.

A telephone bidder paid £34,850 at a London auction for the letter earlier this week.

Rich Chamberlain
Rich Chamberlain

Rich is a teacher, one time Rhythm staff writer and experienced freelance journalist who has interviewed countless revered musicians, engineers, producers and stars for the our world-leading music making portfolio, including such titles as Rhythm, Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, and MusicRadar. His victims include such luminaries as Ice T, Mark Guilani and Jamie Oliver (the drumming one).