Set for auction on June 30th is a copy of the 1974 document freeing the Beatles from their legal partnership to each other, which was signed by all four members. The “break-up” agreement is expected to sell for up to $500,000 at via Gotta Have Rock And Roll auctions.
According to the auction house: “By 1974, after years of litigation, the band had reached an accord, and the documents were supposed to be signed on December 19th at a meeting at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan (where the Beatles had stayed during their first trip to the United States). (Paul) McCartney and (George) Harrison were there in person, while (Ringo) Starr, having already signed the document, was on the telephone. Although (John) Lennon lived a short distance from the Plaza, he left his former bandmates waiting, purportedly giving the excuse: 'the stars aren’t right' (in reality his absence was due to lingering concerns over taxation). Ten days later, the stars aligned in Disney World of all places.”
Shortly after the split, John Lennon explained that apart from the music, the Beatles shared an intense and deep relationship with one another: “It takes a lot to live with for four people over and over for years and years, which is what we did. And we called each other every name under the sun, we got to blows, we've been through the whole damn show. We know where we're at — we still do. We've been through the mill together for more than 10 years, y'know? We've been through our therapy together many times, y'know?”