TV show appeals for help to prove Chesney Hawkes’ piano was owned by John Lennon

BBC One amusement Fake Or Fortune? is appealing for assistance to beryllium a soft owned by 1990s popular prima Chesney Hawkes erstwhile belonged to John Lennon.

In Thursday night’s occurrence presenters Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould analyse the babe expansive piano, which was acquired by Hawkes’ begetter Len Hawkes, who played successful 1960s radical The Tremeloes, erstwhile helium was signaling astatine Tittenhurst Park, a Grade II-listed state location Lennon erstwhile owned successful the aboriginal 1970s.

Lennon and Yoko Ono near the location for New York successful 1971 and sold the spot and its signaling workplace to Ringo Starr, who moved successful in 1973.

During the occurrence Hawkes explains that his household communicative goes that the Broadwood soft had been near connected the tract and that “it was John’s and Ringo didn’t privation it”, truthful Starr gave it to his father.

Although the show’s squad marque a fig of discoveries during the episode, they cannot beryllium it belonged to the Beatles star.

Without provenance it is estimated to beryllium worthy a fewer 1000 pounds, but with grounds it was erstwhile Lennon’s, the soft could beryllium worthy hundreds of thousands.

Hawkes learned to play soft connected the instrumentality and is hoping idiosyncratic volition beryllium capable to supply grounds it belonged to Lennon, though helium does not program to merchantability it.

He said: “My household inactive has a batch of emotion for this soft and it volition transportation connected being loved successful the Hawkes household for years to come.”

It's each astir provenance - moving to beryllium that a philharmonic demi-god touched and utilized the philharmonic instrumentality successful question. It often involves rigorous research, but the rewards tin beryllium enormous

Philip Mould

Bruce added: “We had specified precocious hopes, it was truthful exciting, we’ve not looked into thing similar this before, but we couldn’t just, quite, clinch it.

“If someone’s watching, and you retrieve John Lennon playing this soft oregon you’ve got immoderate photographic evidence, get successful touch.”

Mould added that the euphony memorabilia marketplace is “fascinating” but provenance is key.

He said: “It’s each astir provenance – moving to beryllium that a philharmonic demi-god touched and utilized the philharmonic instrumentality successful question. It often involves rigorous research, but the rewards tin beryllium enormous.”

The upright Steinway Z soft Lennon utilized to constitute Imagine was sold astatine auction successful 2000 for £1.45 million. It was bought by precocious popular vocalist George Michael and is present connected show astatine Liverpool’s Strawberry Field attraction.

Hawkes is champion known for his 1991 UK fig 1 azygous The One And Only. He had six UK deed singles and a apical 40 album, Buddy’s Song, a soundtrack to the 1991 movie of the aforesaid name.